Warm Hugs
by SarahRapunzel
Summary: It's been a week since the eternal winter had ended. Elsa has returned to attending to her duties as queen, Anna and Kristoff have been getting to know each other better, and Sven no longer has an interest with Olaf's nose. And for that one moment everything was perfect. Until the King of the Southern Isles decides to drop by Arendelle to deliver an unwanted "package".
1. Chapter 1

The summer sun was out, the winds were blowing a breeze through the trees, and the peaceful sound of waves crashed against the shores of Arendelle. By the perfect weather now, one could not believe that just a week ago, Arendelle was trapped in an eternal winter. While the queen remained busy at the castle, running back and forth between foreign dignitary meetings and council meetings, Anna and Olaf were creating sand-snowmen on the beach.

"Oh this is so much fun Anna! This is exactly how I imagined what summer would be like!"

Anna let out a light giggle, "Me too! Well not _exactly_ like this, because I mean who would've thought that I would be making sand-snowmen with a real snowman in the middle of summer?! I mean, come-on that just sounds crazy!"

Olaf gave a little frown, "But you're not crazy Anna...you're perfect just the way you are."

"Oh no Olaf! That's not what I meant! I meant that-"

"You wanna know who's craaazy?! Sv-Kristoff! I mean, he's lived with talking rocks all his life and he even talks to a reindeer who 'answers' back to him. Come on, Anna don't you think that a talking reindeer is a lit-tle strange?!"

Anna smirks as a gruff voice behind Olaf retorts, "...No stranger than a real life talking snowman, perhaps?"

Olaf slowly turned towards the voice behind him, "Hey Kristoff! We were just talking about you! All good things...all good things..."

Kristoff smirked while crossing his arms, "I'm sure...Olaf, we really have to do something about your gossiping problem, you know that?"

The snowman gasps, "I do not have a gossiping problem! I just simply believe that good communication creates a strong foundation in any relationship so that-"

"You told Elsa about the kiss Anna and I shared at the docks a few days ago! I just came from a 2 hour meeting with the queen about the proper etiquette of courting a princess!"

Now it was Anna's turn to gasp, "What?! Olaf you didn't! I mean it's not like we did anything scandalous, but after the whole engaged-to-an-evil-man-whose-name-shall-not-be-spoken incident, I would have preferred to have told _my_ sister at _my_ own time."

Olaf looked down guiltily, "I'm sorry Anna. I was just so excited that you and Kristoff were getting married that-"

The distressed ice deliverer interrupted, "Wait, what?! When did Anna and I say we were getting married?!"

At the same time Anna shrieked, "YOU DIDN'T TELL ELSA WE WERE GETTING MARRIED DID YOU?!"

Olaf mindlessly scuffed his snow-feet against the sand, "...like I said. I was really excited about the whole thing and I just _had _to tell someone about it. So yeah...I might have mentioned something about your wedding..."

The couple remained silent and just stared at the meddling snowman. There was an awkward tension that seemed to hang for about a minute until Anna sighed and crouched down to Olaf's level.

"Olaf...I know you meant well, but please...just promise me that the next time you want to talk about my personal life with Elsa, or anyone else for that matter, ask me about it first. Luckily this time it wasn't anything that couldn't be fixed, but just remember that for next time, mkay?"

Olaf lifted up his eyes and quietly said, "I promise Anna."

Anna smiled a warm smile, "Besides, I don't think there is any problematic situation that couldn't be fixed with a warm hug. Don't you agree?"

Olaf jumped up and down and giggled, "I LOVE warm hugs!"

As Anna and Olaf hugged, Kristoff look out towards the oceans horizon and noticed a ship approaching with a familiar emblem on its sails. A familiarly unwanted emblem at that.

"Uhhh, Anna?"

Anna looked up, "Yes Kristoff?"

When Kristoff did not answer her, she stood up, "What is it Kristoff? What's wrong?"

Kristoff remained silent and just pointed out towards the approaching ship. Once Anna turned around he cautiously spoke up, "Are you sure that ALL things can be fixed with a warm hug?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! I would just like to thank you all for reviewing and following my story! This really means a lot to me and it truly inspires me to continue writing and updating more and more each and every day! I would like to apologize for my constant updating of chapter 2 due to some format issues that were previously uploaded. But hopefully everything has been fixed and re-formatted. If you would like to PM me, feel free to do that, I try hard to stay on top of messaging people back. Please continue reviewing and I promise I will try to crank out some more chapters this week. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company. **

***I don't know if disclaimers are necessary, but I do not want to be sued or anything like that so it's better to be safe than sorry, right?!***

**Chapter 2: Change-Past, Present, and Future**

Anna's eyes widened at the sight of the approaching ship, "I have to warn Elsa..." she said at a barely audible whisper, and promptly ran towards her shoes and socks.

Kristoff looked around, "What? Did you say something?"

By that point Anna had already grabbed her shoes and socks and put them on. Before Kristoff and Olaf could register what was going on, Anna had already taken off at a fast sprint towards the castle.

Kristoff clumsily shuffled through the sand, "Come on Olaf! Let's go!"

The snowman jumped up, slid on his belly, and followed the iceman, "I'm right behind you!"

* * *

**Back at the Castle**

"Queen Elsa, I am so glad to see things between you and Anna returning back to normal again. It's been a long hard 13 years on you and your sister." Kai and Elsa were walking down the castle corridors towards, yet, another meeting with the queen's council about the rebuilding of Arendelle after the harsh summer-winter. Although it technically was her fault, Elsa couldn't wait until the council was satisfied with the reconstruction plans for her kingdom. She wanted things to return back to normal for her people. _Well as normal as a kingdom being ruled by a queen with snow and ice powers could be I suppose_, she thought.

"Your Majesty?"

Elsa was snapped out of her thoughts, "Oh yes! We have been apart from each other for far too long. It is wonderful to finally spend time with the sister I longed to know. Life is too short to miss out on a sister like Anna."

This brought a smile upon Kai's face, "It is so nice to hear you say that, your Majesty. Your father had concerns that after being separated for so long, if you and Anna were to be reunited things would not be the same as it was when you were little."

Elsa and Kai had reached the doors to the meeting room and turned to face each other. Elsa had a look of remorse in her eyes, "I, too, shared the same concerns as my father before me had. At one point, Anna stopped knocking on my door and I thought that she had finally given up on me. But when my parents died, Anna came back and started knocking on my door again. Through all the tragedy and despair, Anna's daily knocking gave me the hope and strength that I needed when I prepared myself to take the throne."

Kai's eyes filled with tears, "Your Majesty, that's what family is for. Your sister has and will forever be there for you. You both have grown up to be such beautiful, strong women...your parents would be so proud of you both."

A single tear slide down Elsa's cheek, "Thank you Kai..." She turned towards the door and as Kai opened the door she quietly added, "...for everything."

* * *

"So if we collapse the wall here and here, that will create a bigger, more open feel to the ballroom..."

"Why are we focusing on the ballroom, when the dining hall is in far worse shape!?"

Elsa sighed as she stole a glance out of the window, wishing she could be anywhere but the one place she was. She grew tired of the councilmen's constant debating and pointless arguing. This was their fourth meeting this week and no progress has been made. The only reason she had not rid of these men was because these were men from her father's council and although she had 3 years to configure her own council, she had originally thought that these men would help her and bring an essence of experience to her reign. _Boy was I mistaken! Why are they still talking about fixing the castle? What we should be focusing on are the docks, they received most of the damage. I know I'm supposed to be patient with these guys, but this is starting to be ridiculous!_

The queen authoritatively stood, "We will start reconstruction on the docks tomorrow morning, bright and early...no exceptions."

The councilmen stopped talking and just quietly stared at their queen, until one brave man spoke up, "Excuse us, Your Majesty, what did you just say?"

Elsa confidently eyed every man in the room, "You heard me. And if someone has a problem with what I just said then they can just- "

At that moment, Anna burst through the doors with a look of panic on her face, "Elsa!" She quickly walked across the room and curtsied to her sister, "Ehem...Queen Elsa. I need to talk to you now...like right now!"

The Queen kept composure despite her sisters sudden outburst, "What is it Anna?"

"Okay well there are actually two things...first, Kristoff and I are not getting married. Despite what a certain snowman might have told you, we are not, I repeat NOT, getting married. We haven't even discussed the option of marriage and honestly after everything that just happened, Kristoff and I think that we should take things really very slow. Okay and the second thing is probably more important, and now that I think about I should have started off with this-"

"ANNA!"

"Oh sorry, I'm sorry...But the second thing is that there's a ship, a big ship, approaching the ports of Arendelle as we speak!"

Elsa wore a slight look of annoyance on her face, "Yes, Anna. Ships come and go from Arendelle's ports every day. I know you have not been outside the gates in a while but surely you must have known that-"

"Elsa that's not the problem! The problem is that the ship headed this way is from the Southern Isles!" Elsa's annoyed face turned into a look of both shock and confusing, "Wait, what?"


	3. Chapter 3

******Author's Note: Hey Everyone! I kept my promise and updated a new chapter! I stayed up until the wee hours in the morning to finish this chapter but it is finally done! Yay! Please review! Thanks & Enjoy!**

******Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**

**Chapter 3: An Unwanted Gift**

The royal sisters hurried through the halls of the castle with mixed emotions of panic, confusion, shock, and mostly uncertainty churning in their stomachs. As the two quickly turned a sharp corner, Elsa abruptly ran face first into Kristoff's rock solid chest as Anna accidentally tripped over the short snowman companion and promptly fell on her face with a loud "Oof!"

The four friends made quite a commotion as they all spoke and apologized at the same time,

"Your Majesty! Queen Elsa, I am so very sorry-"

"It's fine, don't worry about it-"

"Omigosh Anna! Are you okay?! Are you hurt-"

"No, no, I'm fine...I'm okay-"

They clumsily untangled each other from one another and as they laughed it off, Elsa swiftly recomposed herself, took lead of the group of four and continued their hurried quest to the docks.

As Olaf slid alongside Elsa, Anna opted to run beside Kristoff, "Jeez Kristoff, what took you guys so long?"

Kristoff glanced down at Anna with a smirk, "You know, miss feisty-pants, you can run pretty fast when you want to...that and I had some serious sand in my shoes that needed to be dealt with."

"You know Kristoff...for being a big, strong, tough, mountain man, you sure can act like a girl sometimes." Anna saw this as a easy opportunity to tease Kristoff and she was not going to pass it up.

Kristoff replied smugly, "Ha-ha. Laugh it up now, but the next time you need rescuing from wolves or giant overly-protective snow monster you'll wish you had this 'girly' mountain man to protect you."

Anna bit her lip while thinking back to their last adventure together, "If I recall correctly, I was the one who hit the wolf with the lute-"

"MY lute! You could've broken it by the way-"

"And I was the one who retreated the wolves long enough to pull you back onto the sled-"

"Which you managed to burn all the supplies in the process-"

"And I was the one who threw you the rope and kept you from falling off the mountain side-"

"Sven helped you pull me up and you destroyed my entire sled-"

"Oh yeah, and who was the one who fended off Marshmallow with the tree-"

"You were the one who threw the snowball that upset the snow monster originally-"

Elsa couldn't help but smile hearing her sister and the ice harvester quarrel behind her. _No wonder Olaf thought those two were getting married...they already sound like a old bickering married couple!_

As the four reached the entrance of the docks Elsa remembered something, "Oh Olaf! I forgot to advise that you stay back at the castle. It completely slipped my mind that although the citizens of Arendelle may be comfortably aware of your presence, other foreigners may not be as easy going about a magical talking snowman. I am sorry, it's just-"

Olaf interrupted, "Don't you worry about it Elsa! I completely understand!" The snowman happily turned around and started sliding back to the palace, "I'll meet you guys back at the castle!"

Elsa smiled then turned toward Anna and Kristoff who were panting extremely hard from all the running and bantering, "Okay, Kristoff? I'm going to ask you to stay here at the dock's entrance. Although I do not know what is going on, it is still procedure that only those of the palace meet with foreign visitors right off the boat."

Kristoff managed to reply through breaths, "Yes...Your...Majesty..."

"Anna come with me..."

Elsa also signaled four guards from the dock to follow the two sisters. By the time the Arendelle welcome wagon arrive at the allotted port, the ship of their arch-enemy was already docked and the visitor had already stepped off the ship and onto the Arendelle dock.

"Dear Fair Queen Elsa of Arendelle-"

Elsa did not want to hear what their visitor had to say. If there was a problem she wanted to nip it in the butt and get this man and his ship as far away from her kingdom as possible, "King Richard, you understand that the Southern Isles and Arendelle are no longer allies and that by your presence here I have the right to take you captive, hold you ransom, and/or rightfully declare war between our two kingdoms."

The King defensively held up his hands, "Queen Elsa...Your Majesty, please...I do not wish any harm to your beloved kingdom. I travelled here only to deliver to you a gift."

The queen grew suspicious of the man, "I do not receive gifts from those kingdoms Arendelle is not allied with-"

"I understand that Your Majesty, but please...you must accept this gift as it is a part of our traditional judicial law in the Southern Isles."

The queen grew even more suspicious, "What is it that you wish to give?"

King Richard grew very quiet and looked back and forth between the royal sisters, "May I speak to you, alone?"

Elsa had a quick flashback to her coronation day when Anna and Hans had asked for her blessing of their impulsive marriage. She snapped out of her thoughts when Anna replied for her sister, "We can continue this conversation back at the castle and perhaps over some refreshments?" Elsa gave Anna a questioning look but Anna only continued to warmly and politely smile at the unwanted guest. _How can she manage to act so sweet and polite to the father of the man who tried to kill us only a week ago?! Perhaps I have some more growing up to do than I thought..._

* * *

**Back at the Castle **

"Thank you Queen Elsa for letting me visit your magnificent palace. And thank you Princess Anna for bringing up the idea of refreshments." The King gave a grateful smile to Anna.

While Elsa was still pretty uptight about the whole situation, Anna just continued her warm, pleasant behavior, "Of course, Your Majesty. Here in Arendelle, we like to take care of our guests."

Finally the queen spoke up, "What is it that you wanted to talk about? Tell us about the gift...why was privacy a necessity?"

The King almost looked a bit embarrassed, "Ah yes...well, first things first. I would like to personally apologize for what my youngest son, Hans, has done to you, your sister, and your kingdom-"

But Elsa was all business, "The gift King Richard?"

The king cleared his throat, "Yes of course. According to our judicial law, we, the Southern Isles Court, cannot convict a man who has done crimes outside the borders of the Southern Isles. Therefore, we cannot condemn Prince Hans of the crimes he has committed against you and your kingdom-"

Anna stood up and yelped, "WHAT?! But you have to! That man is a murderer, a traitor, and a very, very, very bad man!"

Elsa stepped in, "Anna please, remember your royal etiquette."

The King shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "No, it's fine. I completely understand your anger. I am aware of the damage my son has brought to Arendelle and because of that I brought to you a 'gift' of some sort."

Anna's warm personality was now completely gone, "We don't want your gift, we want Hans locked up for good, like forever and ever and all of eternity!"

Elsa gave her sister a strict look, "Anna please! If you cannot control yourself and your emotions then I will have to ask you to leave."

The younger sister opened her mouth as if to object but one more hard look from her older sibling made her shut up and sit back down.

The queen looked back and gestured for their guest to finish speaking, "As you were saying?"

The King anxiously continued, "Ehem, yes...by all means I do not intend on letting my son get away without any punishment so in order to make things right, I have brought Hans back to Arendelle in order to receive proper judgment from those he harmed."

Anna couldn't help but blurt out, "Hans is _here_?! What are we supposed to do with him?"

The King's dull green eyes intensely gazed directly into Elsa's icy blue eyes and gravely replied, "Whatever you wish, even if it means sentencing him to his death."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes: Hey Guys! I know this chapter was a little short but there was really no way I could continue the story-line without going into an enormously long chapter. Don't worry though I will continue updated a lot more this week and maybe even again today, hopefully with some longer chapters. Please review if you have the time! Thanks & Enjoy!**

******Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**

**Chapter 4: Reintroducing Hans**

The King of the Southern Isles and the two royal sisters of Arendelle silently walk back towards the dock to pick up their "package". Anna had been completely against the whole idea as soon as it came out of King Richard's mouth, but Elsa was more understanding and aware of what the King was going through. _At least he brought back Hans to Arendelle to receive his punishment. That must have been a hard decision for a father...to send his youngest son back to be persecuted for his crimes, although what Hans did was extremely wrong, he still is his son after all_. Before the group of three left the castle grounds, Elsa turned toward her sister, "Anna, I want you to stay here at the castle. After all that has happened I do not wish for you to see Prince Hans at this time."

King Richard interrupted, "Pardon me, Your Majesty, but you must call my son Hans. Just Hans."

The queen looked at him skeptically but he continued, "Although I was not able to punish my son, I was able to disown him and stripped away his title of being a Prince. So please just call him Hans."

Elsa nodded, "Then, I will do just that."

And with that the King and the Princess said farewell and the two royal leaders continued their walk to the docks.

* * *

Once Elsa and Richard had reached the docks the King ordered his guards to fetch Hans. While waiting, Elsa wanted to ask Richard his opinion about Han's punishment. "King Richard, if you were to punish your son...what would you have done?"

The King's eyes started to fill with tears, "I could not say, Your Majesty. Hans was such a kind quiet soul when growing up, I could not even imagine him doing what he did here. When I look at him I still see that little boy with his wooden sword and stuffed horse. If I were to conduct my own punishment, it would probably be far too lenient that what he truly deserves."

Elsa felt sorry for this man but she could not let his sad story cloud her judgment, "If you were to dictate your punishment based off your law, what would his sentence be?"

They both stopped talking and looked towards the ship as four guards and one Hans walked down the gang plank. Hans was no longer the well-dressed man she had met at her coronation ball, but instead dressed as a lowly peasant. His usually well-groomed hair was a mess, and Elsa couldn't help but notice that his flawless face now wore bumps, bruises, and some open bloody wounds. He also seemed to walk with some sort of limp. His hands were clamped tightly behind his back, in iron cuffs, and his mouth was gagged with some dirty old rag. As the former prince approached his father and Elsa he wore an expression of anger, one that held a look of hatred towards Elsa and one that held a look of betrayal towards his father.

The King looked back at Elsa as a single tear rolled down his cheek, "...death."

He looked at his beloved son one last time and miserably walked aboard his ship. Once the ship left the docks, Elsa turned toward her guards and her new prisoner, "Put the bag over his head...for the good of my people, I want to keep Han's identity a secret. Please take him to the dungeon."

And with that, everything went black for Hans.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**

**Chapter 5: A Decision Has Been Made**

After the guards took Hans to the dungeon, Elsa made her way back to castle in time for supper. She requested that Kristoff, Kai, Gerda, and of course Anna be present for dinner. She considered those four people her closest friends and family and preferred to discuss the day's events and upcoming decision with them instead of her squabbling council. Once everyone was situated at the dinner table, a very uncomfortable, tense silence filled the dining room. Kristoff was partly oblivious to the tension due to his lack of social interaction, Anna wasn't feeling very hungry and continued to play with her food, and Elsa was looking out the window and mindlessly wringing her hands. While Kai and Gerda observed the scene, Kai raised his eyebrows at his wife, hinting for her start a conversation.

Gerda cleared her throat, "If you excuse my asking, Your Majesty, why did you invite my husband and I to dinner, as we are only your servants and not of any nobility."

This got everyone to look at their queen with a questioning expression, well everyone except Anna. She already knew what was going on and why everyone Elsa cared for had been summoned to supper this evening.

Elsa sat up straighter and addressed her dinner guests, "I consider you all here to be very trustworthy and I respect all of your opinions greatly. With that being said, I have a very important decision that I need to make and I would really appreciate having your input on the matter at hand."

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement and Elsa decided to continue, "Today Arendelle received a visitor from the Southern Isles, the King to be exact. He came to personally apologize for the actions of his son and to deliver a 'package' of some sort to Arendelle. Later it was understood that the judicial law of the Southern Isles could not condemn Hans for his crimes because the crimes that he committed were done outside of the Southern Isles border-"

Kristoff was the first to angrily speak up, "So what are they just going to let him get away with murder and treason, scotch free?"

Anna gently put her hand on his arm to signal him to calm down and let her sister finish.

Elsa looked down and noticed that she had started to freeze the napkin in her lap and in response she quickly let go, "Umm...no Kristoff. Hans will still pay for his crimes. In fact he had already been disowned from his family and stripped of his royal title. But in order to properly punish Hans, I, as the leader of Arendelle, must decide Han's fate."

Again Kristoff was the first to respond, "Death."

The whole room gasped at the mountain mans fast, harsh decision. Anna was next to speak, "Kristoff! Don't you think that is a little harsh?"

"The man tried to kill your sister, Anna, and temporarily succeeded in ending your life too! A life for a life! Is that not what the law says?"

Elsa tried to calm the ice harvester, "Yes Kristoff it is true...that is what the King also told me too. As much as it hurt him to say it, he believes that Hans should receive the death penalty for his crimes."

Anna tried to change the course of where the decision was headed, "But Elsa, Kristoff, look! I'm not dead! _You're_ not dead! Hans didn't kill anyone! And if it were not for him attempting to kill Elsa, I would have not sacrificed myself for my sister, and then I would have remained forever an ice statue!"

The room grew very quiet from the princess's outburst. Kristoff responded in a small, quiet voice, "Are you saying that if I were to have kissed you instead of you sacrificing yourself for Elsa, that our kiss would _not_ have thawed your heart?"

Anna's face shared a look of shock and annoyance, "What? No...no! Why would you even say that?"

Kristoff stood up from the table and looked toward Elsa, "You know where I stand on the issue, Your Majesty. Now if you'll excuse me..." And with that, the mountain man dejectedly walked out of the dining hall and towards the stables.

All eyes fell to Anna, "I still do not believe that Hans should die for his crimes. He did not kill me, or you, Elsa. A life for a life, correct? No life was taken then, and no life should be taken now. Since you know where I stand, I wish to excuse myself back to my chambers."

The princess did not wait for an answer from her sister, she just calmly stood up and composedly walked out.

The stressed queen rubbed her eyes with hands and then tiredly looked towards her favorite servants, "And where do you two stand on the issue?"

The couple looked at each other first before Kai decided to speak, "Your Majesty, although it is not our place to decide this man's fate, we believe that one should stick to the law in order to avoid any further conflict."

Elsa sighed, "That's what I thought."

As the two servants excused themselves from the table and started to make their way towards the door, the queen spoke up, "What would my father have done?"

Kai decided he should take this one, "Your Majesty, your father was a strict follower of the law, and he, too, would probably make the same decision."

With that, the queen had made up her mind and stood, "A decision has been made. Hans will be hanged from the neck until dead as punishment for his crimes against the crown of Arendelle."


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey Guys! I said that I would be cranking out some more chapters so here we are! Fortunately this is also a longer chapter than what I've been putting out recently. Please review if you have the time! Thanks & Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**

**Chapter 6: The Plan**

Anna quietly snuck away from the dining room doors where she had been listening to her sister discuss the situation with her servants and later decided on executing Hans in the morning. Anna walked away hastily and continued walking to who knows where. _Oh no...no, no, no, no, NO! I cannot let Elsa go through with this! Nobody understands what Hans has been through as a kid. Nobody gets that he is the way he is because of his terrible childhood. Elsa needs to talk to him before she can execute him. I need to get Elsa to go down into the dungeon, but how? After what happened during the eternal winter she refuses to go anywhere near the dungeon. _

Before Anna could think anymore about her plan, she found herself at the dungeons entrance. And without anymore thought she purposefully walk down the dark dungeon steps, "If I am going to think up a scheme to get Elsa back down here to talk to Hans, then I'm going to need some help from a scheming expert."

* * *

In the dungeon, Hans paced back in forth in his small cell thinking about everything that has happened in just a week's time. _A week ago I was engaged to Princess Anna freely singing with her around the castle grounds. A week ago Elsa's powers were revealed to everyone. A week ago I was in charge of Arendelle. A week ago I saved Elsa, brought her back to Arendelle, and everyone believed me to be a hero._ He stopped pacing, looked out the window of his cell, and heavily sighed. _A week ago I made the biggest mistake of my life. A week ago I tried to murder both Elsa and Anna._ His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a commotion outside his cell.

"With all due respect, Princess Anna, the Queen ordered me to not let anyone near the prisoner-"

"I am aware of my sisters orders, but I have some news to personally deliver to the prisoner _from_ the Queen. So if you'd be so kind as to step aside and give me some privacy, that would be much appreciated."

Before Hans could register the conversation he'd just overheard, his cell door swung wide open and a petite Princess Anna strode through the doorway. "Hans!" Anna closed the door behind her and took a good look at her former-fiancé. "What happened to you?! Your face is all banged up! Did any of the Arendelle guards do this to you?"

Hans was tempted to lie to see if he could receive sympathy from someone, but he decided to tell the truth since lying is what got him here in the first place. Besides if someone was to show him some sympathy it would definitely not be coming from the royal sisters. "No Anna...I mean, _Princess_ Anna. The damage you see on my face was done to me by my brothers and the guards of the Southern Isles. Arendelle has done no harm to me."

Anna felt both relieved and guilty at the same time, "That's good to hear. I mean it's not good that your brothers beat you up, but what I meant was that it's good that none of the Arendelle guards hurt you because then, yeesh! That would not go down well-"

Hans couldn't help but smirk at the quirky princess's babbling, "Your highness? What news have you come to tell me from the Queen?"

Anna had a glimpse of confusion in her eyes so Hans explained, "I heard you tell the guard that you 'have some news to personally deliver to the prisoner from the Queen,'" he recited in her voice.

"Oh yes, that's right! Well as you probably already know, your father has given Elsa jurisdiction on deciding your punishment for the crimes you committed here. And I don't mean to be a wet blanket but she has decided that you are to be hanged for your crimes in the morning!"

Hans had a look of panic spread across his face, "What? Wait no...NO! I can change my ways! Please Anna, PLEASE! You have to help me! Can't you change your sisters mind?"

"I've already tried that, but she won't budge. She says that's what the written law is and she will therefore act upon it. But I have a plan...it's not a complete plan but I figured you could help me with the finer details since you are the evil mastermind here."

Hans gave her an unimpressed look, "Thanks...so let's hear about this plan."

* * *

At the stables, Kristoff was brushing out his Sven's fur and talking aloud about what happened at dinner that evening, "She actually stood up for the guy! Can you believe that? The man who broke her heart, left her to die, and then he went after her sister with the intention of killing her too!"

Kristoff replied for his best friend, _"Maybe she sees something in him that you're completely missing."_

"Oh yeah like what?"

_"Well, she did fall in love with him originally so she must have seen some good in him." _

That caused Kristoff to stop brushing, "Do you think she's still in love with him?"

_"I never said that." _

"No but it makes sense though, doesn't it? After everything that man has done to her, she still wants to spare him his life. She must still have feelings for the guy!" That made Kristoff think back to what Anna said at dinner...'_And if it were not for him attempting to kill Elsa, I would have not sacrificed myself for my sister, and then I would have remained forever an ice statue!' _

The ice harvester put the brush away and dejectedly plopped onto a nearby stool, "Anna doesn't even believe that our kiss would have thawed her heart...she doesn't think that our love is true."

_"Did she say that?" _

"Well...no. But she kinda sorta hinted towards that."

_"What did she say afterwards?" _

"I don't know, I got up and left."

Sven gave Kristoff an unconvinced look. _"I think you might have over-reacted a little bit then. You didn't even let the poor girl explain herself. You know how she sometimes speaks without thinking about it first. That's one of the things you love about her though." _

Kristoff couldn't help but smile, "Ha. It's true. And you wanna you something Sven? I hate it when you're right."

A small voice behind Kristoff blurted, "He seems to be more right about things than you give him credit for."

Kristoff turned around and surprisingly stood up, "Anna! Listen Anna, I am so sorry about what happened at dinner-"

"It's fine, really, don't worry about it. I actually came out her to get some fresh water for Hans, but I overheard you talking to Sven so I thought I'd drop by to say hi-"

"Wait, why are you getting water for that criminal?!"

"Oh well, when I visited him earlier this evening he had some pretty nasty looking wounds so I thought that I'd wash them up for him."

Kristoff slowly started walking towards the princess, "Anna, listen to me. I don't think you should be going back to the dungeon to see Hans. He is a very dangerous man and I don't want to see you get hurt."

Anna slowly started backing up towards the entrance of the stables, "Nonsense Kristoff! I've decided that if no one else wants to show Hans any compassion or hospitality, then that's up to them. But I for one won't tolerate that kind of behavior!" Before Kristoff knew what was going on, Anna had suddenly turned around to shut the entrance doors behind her and promptly locked Kristoff in.

Kristoff started pounding furiously on the stable doors, "Anna! Let me out! Don't go near that monster! Do you hear me, Anna?! ANNA!"

Anna strode across the courtyard and headed back towards the dungeon with a regretful look on her face, "Sorry Kristoff. It's nothing personal, but this is all a part of the plan."


	7. Chapter 7

******Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**

**Chapter 7: The Plan (II) **

Elsa walked through the castle gardens and towards the courtyard, as she does every evening, to help clear her head and keep her emotions in check. _The last thing I need to do is lose control again and create another eternal winter. It's just that- _

Elsa heard the faintest sound of someone knocking on a door. She, more than anyone else, could recognize what knocking on wood sounded like. She's been listening to it for 13 years. _Where is that coming from though?_ She quickened her footsteps towards the direction of the courtyard. There she discovered that the knocking, more like pounding, was coming from within the stables.

"Hello? This is Queen Elsa...who's in there?"

"Elsa?! It's me Kristoff!"

"Kristoff?! What happened?"

"Anna locked me in here!"

"Wait, what? How...why?"

"I don't know...she told me she was headed back to the dungeon to address Hans's injuries, and I told her to stay away from him then she just lost it! She slammed the door in my face and locked me in here! She insisted on seeing Hans but she could also be in danger!"

The Queen felt a knot form in the pit of her stomach, "Oh no! Anna!" She started running towards the dungeon as ice began to form and left a trail of frost behind her.

"Your Majesty?! Hello?...Elsa? Can someone get me out of here? Please? Helloooo?"

* * *

In the dungeon, Anna was casually leaning against the doorway to Hans's cell swinging the stable keys around her finger, trying to play it cool and calm. Hans, on the other hand, was a bit nervous about speaking to the queen about his past and ultimately trying to change her mind about his upcoming execution. He looked up at the scheming princess, "What if she doesn't come? She could always send some guards down here to come and get you."

"Nope, I don't think so. I know that every evening, at this time, Elsa takes her evening stroll through the gardens and courtyard. When she hears Kristoff's knocking, she'll ask him what's wrong, and come directly here. I know Elsa, and if she thinks I am in any sort of immediate danger, she'll come rescue me herself."

"But what if she won't talk to me?"

"She doesn't need to talk to you, she just needs to listen."

"Well, what is she doesn't listen?"

"Would you quit worrying about it? You and Elsa both share a common bond, a miserable childhood. Heck! That's what helped you and me connect at the coronation, remember?"

"Yes, but you are far more sympathetic than Elsa. And to be honest, she kind of scares me."

"Aw, give her a chance. If she can stand to sit around and listen to that horrid council of hers all day, then she can definitely understand a similarly broken childhood as herself. And besides, I could just lock her in with you if she refuses."

Hans couldn't help but laugh, "You know what Anna? You're not as bad as I thought you were. Here I thought you were just some sweet, naive, innocent girl, but you really are quite the scheming mastermind. I think we could have gotten along really well if we did end up getting married."

Anna stopped swinging the keys and slowly made her way to Hans, "Excuse me? And what's _that_ supposed to mean?!" She grabbed the prisoner by his shirt collar, "Now you listen to me. If you so much as make a move towards my sister that I don't like, then it's game over for you buddy! I believe in giving people second chances, but if you decide to double cross me again..." She held up a fist, which made Hans flinch, "Then you can forget about my help and kiss your neck goodbye. Got it?"

The former prince carefully swallowed as Anna let go of him. Then, they heard the sound of the dungeon door open and slam shut. Anna knew her sister was coming down any second, so she quickly walked out of Hans's cell, making sure to leave the cell door open, and hide in the shadows.

Elsa ran as fast as she could down the spiraling staircase that led to the prison cells. When she finally reached the bottom, she stopped. There was something wrong...it was quiet, too quiet. All she could hear was the pounding of her heart and her rapid breathing. She cautiously walked through the halls and noticed that one of the cell doors was open. _Oh no! Anna!_ The Queen ran towards the cell and screamed her sisters name upon entering it, only to find Hans chained up, sitting by the window, alone.

"Where is she?! Where is Anna?!"

The prisoner looked up at the concerned queen face and gently replied, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. Anna is safe."

Slowly, Elsa's temper began to rise as the temperature in the room began to drop, "Where is my sister?!"

"Your Majesty, I was hoping to have a word with you. You see, I-"

Now the queen as angry, "Enough! I am not going to listen to you unless you tell me where my sister is!" Elsa turned around and angrily strode back towards the cell door just as it slammed on her face and diligently locked her in.

"What the...?! Hey! Open this door immediately!"

Through the small window on the door, Anna nervously peeked her head out, "Hey Elsa..."

"Anna, let me out of here this instant!"

The younger sister shook her head, "Nuh-uh! I'm sorry, Elsa, but you can't condemn this man without talking to him first. Listen to what he has to say...please?"

"Anna you have no right to tell me what I should do."

"And you have no right to decide this man's fate without truly knowing his back-story and what he has gone through. Every individual has a past that helped shaped them into the person they are today. Elsa, you and I both know that more than anyone else! Please...just listen to what he has to say."

Elsa sighed and looked down, "Okay, I'll listen to his story. But I don't know what you expect to gain from this."She threw Hans a forceful look, "And you better not try anything while I'm stuck in here."

Anna yelled from the other side of the door, "Don't worry he won't!" Then she added in an exaggerated stage whisper, "He told me that you scare him."

Hans just covered his face with his hands and sighed, while Elsa coldly looked at the prisoner, "Well that's because he probably should be."


	8. Chapter 8

******Hey Everyone! I know things have been pretty dramatic recently and I tried to lighten it up a bit in Chapter 7, but I just wanted to forewarn you guys that Chapter 8 if not for the faint of heart. *SPOILER ALERT: This chapter may cause some sniffles and tears so keep a tissue near by.*Please read this chapter to the very end because I promise that there is some relief, and sooner or later things have to start looking up, right? Please continue reviewing because your reviews is what keeps me constantly updating. I do read your reviews and I do take into consideration your opinions about the story and what you would like to see happen next. Thank You & Enjoy!**

******Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**

**Chapter 8: Hans's Story (I)**

A lively, playful, excited, 8 year old Prince Hans ran through the Southern Isle castle halls, headed straight to the docks where his two oldest brothers were returning from a year long expedition. _I can't wait to tell Klaus and Viktor everything that has happened over the past year! I lost my front teeth, my polo team won championships, and I went hunting with father for the first time! They will be so proud of me! Maybe they'll actually start talking to me again!_ As Hans turned a corner he ran straight into his father, the king, and his third eldest brother Simon.

"Oops! Sorry Father! Sorry Simon!"

The King frowned at his youngest son, "Boy! What have I told you about running through the halls!"

Hans guiltily looked down, "To not to..."

Now it was Simon's turn to shout, "And look at father when he is talking to you! Show some respect! He is not just your father, but also your king!"

Hans looked up at both of them, "Yes Simon. My apologizes."

The King and Simon said nothing as they walked away, allowing Hans to stick his tongue out at them behind their backs, "Poopyheads..."

Hans slowly turned the corner, making sure no one was watching him, and then quickly started running at full speed once again. _I'm not gonna let them rain on my parade...not today!_

By the time Hans had reached the docks, his brothers' ship had already pulled in and they were about to walk down the gang plank. Unfortunately there was an enormous group of civilians surrounding them, making it hard for the small prince to even get close to seeing his brothers. He tried his best to shove and push his way through, "Excuse me! Pardon! Royal Prince coming through!" But nobody seemed to hear or see him. _Typical! I'm even invisible to the peasants!_ Hans tried a to push his way through a little longer before giving up and headed back to the castle. _Might as well join the rest of my family back at the castle and wait to see them then. _

* * *

Back at the castle, all of the Southern Isle royals were lined up, waiting to greet their eldest brothers. All except Hans who was still making his way back from the docks.

The King was beginning to grow impatient, "Where is that boy?! He should know that we are all here waiting for him! Klaus and Viktor deserve a proper greeting and I swear if that boy doesn't show up soon I'll-"

"Richard!" The queen scolded her husband, "Hans is just a boy! He is still very young and probably got so excited that his oldest brothers were returning that he went to greet them at the docks. Don't worry, Richard, Hans maybe young, but he isn't dim-witted. He knows his responsibilities and he _will_ be here."

"You don't understand, Hannah! Klaus and Viktor deserve better! They deserve to have perfection! I can't have that boy screw everything up because he couldn't control his emotions! Does he think that I am not excited to see my sons return home after their year long journey?! Those two are my pride and joy and they deserve nothing but the best from us all!"

"Richard! I cannot have you constantly put Klaus and Viktor on a high up pedestal while you leave the rest of your sons down on ground level! Especially Hans! You don't even recognize him as your son! You won't even call him by his name!"

"The boy shouldn't even be here! He was a mistake! I only wanted twelve sons, but you had to give me a thirteenth one! Unlucky number thirteen, you know that!"

The constant hearing of the King's hatred toward his youngest son, influenced the rest of the Southern Isle princes to treat Hans worse and worse. Little did the King and Queen know that young Hans had been listening to their entire conversation around the corner. He was on the verge of tears but knew that he couldn't let them know that he had been listening. So he shoved his emotions way down and prepared himself for the scolding that was to come. _I told myself I wasn't going to let them rain on my parade today, but at this point, my parade is completely underwater._ The rest of the day was a blur for the young prince. He was scolded by his father, he was harshly teased by his mean older brothers, and was completely ignored by Klaus and Viktor. _This was supposed to be one of the best days of my life...and now it's one of the worst._ Hans never showed up to the welcome home dinner, not like anyone would notice him missing anyways, and went straight back to his bedroom. There he grabbed his stuffed horse Sitron, curled up into a ball underneath the window, by the curtain, and just cried. He stayed like that for a good hour before he heard knocking on his door, followed my his mother, the Queen, coming into his room and closing the door behind her.

She gracefully walked over to him and sat down on the floor beside him, "Hey honey, what are you doing in here?"

Hans knew he could trust his mother, he could tell her anything. She was probably the only person in the entire kingdom who actually cared and paid attention to him. Hans sniffled, "Mommy, nobody notices me at all, they treat me like I am invisible. They only see me when I do something wrong or when they want to make fun of me and tease me. They don't treat me the same."

"I noticed that you were gone, Hans. And who are 'they' anyways?" Although the Queen already knew who 'they' were.

"My brothers, father, even the people of the Southern Isles don't notice me. I'm a complete nobody!" And with that he started crying all over again.

His mother gently picked up her youngest son and held him close in her lap, "Hush sweetie, don't cry. Someday you'll be an important leader of some far off kingdom and the people there will absolutely love you. Oh Hans, you will become a far better ruler than any of your brothers. And you want to know why?"

Hans shook his head.

The Queen began to cradle him back and forth, "Because you are a sweet, polite, kind-hearted, brave, resourceful, and ambitious boy. Unlike your brothers who seek nothing but power, you seek to please others. Your brothers see the throne as a tool to control the world but you see it as a tool to make a positive difference in the world."

This made Hans look up at his mother, "Really Mommy? Do you think so?"

His mother gave him a warm smile, "Of course Hans. You are a lot like me, you know that? That's why I convinced your father to name you after me instead of some other posh relative of his."

This made Hans giggle, "I want to be just like you when I grow up Mommy!"

The Queen laughed, "I'm happy to hear that. Just make sure your father doesn't know about it okay? He would have a field day if he found out that I favor you over his 'pride and joy'."

"I promise Mommy. And when I get older, I promise that you will be proud of me and the man I will have become."

"Spoken like a truly great future king...pinky swear?" She held out her pinky.

Hans giggled and wrapped his small pinky around his mother's, "Pinky swear."

And with that, his mother tucked him into bed and kissed him goodnight, "Oh Hans, I know you will make me a proud mother someday. I love you so very much."

"I love you too, Mommy. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight Hans."

Little did either of them know, that was the last conversation they would share. The King had followed his wife out of the dining hall, to Hans's bedroom, and listened to their entire conversation. He was completely overcome with anger and betrayal that he slipped poison into his wife's drink. That night she came down with a very serious illness and by the morning she was declared dead. Or so everyone thought. In reality, her husband still loved his wife too much to actually kill her, so instead he faked her death, and sent her far, far, away from his kingdom, his sons, and especially Hans.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank You for the reviews! Please keep them coming and I'll continue to update more tonight! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**

**Chapter 9: Hans's Story (II) **

Sitting alone in the library, a studious, intelligent, hard-working, thirteen year old Hans attended to his schooling. The late queen usually tutored the royal princes, but ever since his mother 'passed away', Hans had insisted on tutoring himself instead of learning from a replacement tutor. He knew that he could push himself to be a far better student than what the tutors were capable of teaching, and he also did not wish to spend any extra amount of time with his brothers. Before, his mother would teach each son at different times, knowing and understanding their diverse levels of learning and that they did not exactly get along with one another. But now this new lazy tutor insisted on teaching the 4 eldest son that were under the age of 21 together, and teaching the remaining four youngest sons together. When Hans asked his father the reason for this new method of learning, the king simply said that it was a way to make the princes feel normal and it was a far more efficient way of learning, but deep down it was because the king did not want Hans receiving special treatment and praise because he knew that Hans was the most scholarly out of all his sons. He wanted to make Hans believe that he was nothing special, that he was just average. But Hans would not have it, so he withdrew himself from his 'proper' schooling which resulted in him teaching himself.

As Hans finished up his lessons for the day, he decided to head to the kitchen to grab some lunch. That was when spotted the twins, Kevin and Kendrick, coming his way. Kevin and Kendrick were both sixteen years old and their favorite pass time was physically and emotionally beating up their youngest brother in any way possible. Kendrick was the oldest of the two and always spoke first when they intended on physically hurting Hans, and Kevin usually spoke first if they intended on emotionally hurting him. Hans had started becoming numb to the emotional pain that they caused, it was the physical beatings that still hurt.

Hans turned around and tried to head back to the library, when he heard one of them yell at him, "Oh hey! Look who it is? It's our favorite baby brother, _Hansey_!" Kendrick was the first to speak.

Hans muttered a curse word under his breath as he turned to face them, "Don't call me Hansey. I've told you that before, and it would be much appreciated if you would acquiesce to my request-"

Kevin shoved Hans against a wall and pinned his shoulders down, "You think you're so much better than us, huh? Trying to use all these big words to make us feel dumb! You can't belittle us Hansey! We're bigger than you..."

Kendrick finished his brother's sentence, "...And stronger than you."

Hans tried to squirm his way out of his brother's strong grip, "Let me go! What is wrong with you?!"

Kendrick taunted, "Aww...is poor little Hansey going to cry without his mommy here to protect him?"

Now Hans was more angry than scared, "Shut up! Do not bring our mother into this! She never did anything to you!"

Kendrick raised his voice, "Our mother was a daft woman! She was a disgrace to the throne and to our family!"

Kevin finished, "Just like you!"

Hans lost control of all his emotions, "How dare you speak about our mother that way when she isn't even here to defend herself! Our mother was the only good thing this family had! We should all strive to be as grand as a leader as she once was!"

Kendrick was the one who threw the first punch and instantly broke Hans's nose, drawing a large amount of blood. When Hans tried to fight back, Kevin grabbed both arms and twisted them behind his back, while Kendrick promptly kicked Hans in the groin, bringing the young prince down on his knees, breathing heavily.

Kendrick knelt down and looked Hans in the eye, "She always did favor you over anybody else."

Hans spit blood onto Kendrick's face, "Go to hell."

This only made Kendrick grin wickedly, "Finish him off Kevin."

Kevin happily obliged with a swift kick to the stomach causing Hans to cough and wheeze helplessly on the floor, as the twins menacingly laughed and walked towards the kitchen. As Hans just laid there on the floor, he felt a gentle hand fall on his shoulder, "Prince Hans, are you okay?"

Hans looked up into the kind blue eyes of his only ally in the castle, "Annaliese? How much of that did you see?"

The servant girl's mouth twitched, "Um...all of it?"

Hans groaned loudly as Annaliese helped him up, "Come on...let's go get you cleaned up."

Hans was lucky to have Annaliese as his friend. She was the daughter of his mother's lady in waiting, and was also the same age as Hans. They never really hung out together but when his mother died, the king threaten to fire Annaliese and her mother, but Hans convinced his father to keep them on staff as regular servants. Ever since then, Annaliese had been extremely grateful to Hans for saving their jobs and have been best friends ever since.

* * *

Upon entering the prince's bedroom, Hans and Annaliese made their way over to the bed and rested the injured prince down gently. As Annaliese left to go fetch some water and a clean cloth, Hans took off his shirt to assess the damage. Luckily, no broken ribs just some serious looking bruises. Annaliese came back in and closed the door behind her, "Why do you let them treat you like that? Why don't you ever fight back?"

Hans winced as she put the cold wet cloth on his broken nose, "It's just easier to let them go at it and tire themselves out, than to fight back. Besides, I was never much of a fighter."

Annaliese smiled, "I know, that's what I like about you. You have a kind heart, Hans. Something you must have gotten from your mother, no doubt. Because, beg my pardon, the king and the rest of your brothers? Nuh-uh, they have ice where their heart should be."

Hans gave a little smirk, "My mother always told me that I was more like her than anyone else. That's why she named me after her."

Annaliese started attending to the bruises on his stomach, "That makes sense, I've always wondered how you got that the name. The name 'Hans' seemed different, but I like it. It suits you."

Hans gave her a curious look, "How so?"

Annaliese stopped what she was doing and looked straight into Hans's bright green eyes, "It means a very handsome man who is smart and intelligent, also very funny, and easy to talk to. He can be passionate and silly but people with this name are usually very vulnerable."

For some strange reason, Hans couldn't take his eyes off hers, "That sounds about right." He glanced down and noticed that Annaliese had not moved her small hand that had been delicately resting on his chest. That's when he looked at her, _really_ looked at her. Her beautiful sandy light brown and blonde hair was held back in a soft braid, and the way the loose strands delicately fell, perfectly framing her heart-shaped face. The way her gentle blue eyes held so much love, kindness, and concern for him, it made him realize that she was no longer just his childhood friend, but someone he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Later that night, after supper, the king privately confronted Hans about his broken nose. When Hans finished explaining what had happened, his father simply told him that if he wanted respect and wanted his father to be proud of him, then he needed to man up, fight back and defend himself. "Nobody wants a wimp as a son," he said. And then promptly dismissed the young prince.

While walking back to his bedroom, Hans realized he didn't want respect from his brothers or his father to be proud of him. He didn't care about what they thought of him anymore. There was only one person in his life at that moment who's opinion matter more than anyone else. And that person was Annaliese. More than anything, he wanted love.


	10. Chapter 10

**********Hey Guys! So I stayed up until 4am to finish this chapter (it's kind of long), but it does wrap up Hans's Story so now we can start including Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, etc. again! Please review if you have the time...I have not earned a lot of reviews, so that makes me kind of nervous that I'm not doing a good job. Thank You So Much & Enjoy! :)**

**********Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**

**Chapter 10: Hans's Story (III)**

Hans and Annaliese, both now eighteen years old, were sitting together on a picnic blanket in the castle gardens happily holding hands. They had secretly gotten together when they were sixteen and been going strong ever since. They had scheduled to meet around midnight, every night, in the gardens so they could be together in privacy and actually act like a couple. They loved to talk about anything and everything from the day's events, to past experiences, to teasing and bad-mouthing the other princes behind their backs (that was their favorite subject). But the one thing they both avoided was talking about their future, because with Hans being a prince and Annaliese being a servant, they weren't sure that they really _had _a future together.

Annaliese let go of Hans's hands and snuggled closer to him, nestling her head on his shoulder, "Hans, can I ask you something?"

The prince smiled down at her, "Sure, of course."

"Why do you insist that we keep our relationship a secret from your father and brothers if you say that you do not care about what they think of you?"

"Because if my father finds out about us then he would definitely disown me and I would no longer be a prince."

Annaliese was a bit perplexed, "But if that's the case and you were no longer a prince, then we could be together and perhaps someday get married."

"But if I'm not a prince then I am no longer eligible to inherit any sort of kingship from any other kingdom."

Annaliese stood up, glared down at Hans, and put her hands on her hips, "So you're saying that inheriting the throne is a much higher priority than our relationship? I thought you loved me?"

Now Hans stood up and faced Annaliese, "I do love you! More than anything else! It's just that, I promised my mother that I would make her proud someday and rule as a great king over a grand kingdom. And I can't fulfill my promise to her if were to be disowned."

Annaliese's expression softened, "I understand where you're coming from, Hans, I really do. It's just that...you and I are soon becoming of age where we have to start finding someone to marry and settle down with and if you are to keep your promise to your mother then..." She looked down at her hands.

Hans started to feel a knot in his stomach, "Then what?"

When Annaliese looked back up at Hans, she had tears in her eyes, "Then maybe it's time we moved on and saw other people?"

A lump formed in Hans's throat, "Wait, what? Are you saying that we're over?"

Annaliese looked away and started walking towards the courtyard, "Yes and no...Hans, I don't _want_ it to be over but it's starting to dawn on me that you and I both want different things out of life and if that be the case then one of us cannot succeed while with the other."

Hans grabbed her arm and turned her to face him, "No Annaliese. We _can_ make it work. We just need more time-"

"Time is not on our side, Hans! Most girls my age are already married and I haven't even technically started looking for someone in my class. It was fun while it lasted and I'll still be your friend, but I cannot bear the pain of continuing to fall in love with a man I _know _I will never marry." She got on her tippy toes and planted a heartfelt kiss on her lover's lips. Then she cupped his face with her hands, looked into his eyes one last time, and sorrowfully walked away.

* * *

One week later, Hans was still heartbroken about what had happened with Annaliese, but was determined to not show it. He just bottled up his emotions, pushed them way down, and continued on with his daily activities. Although he couldn't help but look wistfully at Annaliese every time she would pass him by in the halls. It wasn't until then though that he noticed that he was not the only one who had his eye on the stunning servant girl. Lots of his older brother began to notice Annaliese more and more as she grew older and more beautiful. This gave Hans a bit of concern for his childhood friend because he knew that although his brothers were princes, they didn't always act as such.

* * *

**Six Months Later**

One night at supper, Kendrick, who was now twenty-one years of age, clinked his glass, signaling that he had an announcement. Once the room had quieted down he started, "Good evening everyone. I have a special announcement to make. The Kingdom of Sperca has fallen due to the lack of authority in their monarch system. Both the King and Queen have been dead for about five years time, and the Queen had no children. Originally, the Southern Isles had volunteered to send a prince over there to become their new king, but they refused saying that they wished to run things _without _ a monarch's rule. But now that things have taken a turn for the worst, they have asked for our assistance once again. Being that I am the next available prince in line to rule, Father has agreed that I am the best choice to take on this challenge of reviving this lost kingdom. But if I am to ensure that the Kingdom of Sperca stays within the our family, then I must take a bride. Father and I have already discussed everything over and, brothers, without further a due, I present to you my fiancé, Annaliese!"

All of the brothers cheered except Hans, he just stood there feeling a flood of emotions hitting him like one hard wave after another. Shock, confusion, anger, hate...he looked at the future king of Sperca wrap his arm around Annaliese's waist and continued his announcement, "And do not worry my brothers, I will not make the same mistake as the former King and Queen of Sperca." He looked directly at Hans, "I will make certain that Annaliese and I will have _lots_ of children."

The brothers all laughed, but Hans stormed out of the dining hall and headed towards the courtyard to get some fresh air. Once there, Hans angrily paced back and forth thinking through everything that had just happened. _He knew! Somehow Kendrick knew about Annaliese and I! And now he's marrying her and they're going to move far away and have children together! _Then he heard a familiar voice, "Hans!" He turned to see that Annaliese was running towards him with a look of desperation and regret on her face.

Hans started backing away from her, "No you...you stay away from me!"

She stopped running, "Hans, I'm so sorry-"

Tears formed in his eyes, "How could you?! How could you do this to me?!"

She pleaded, "Hans, please listen to me! I didn't have a choice-"

Hans was becoming distraught, "Sure you did! Everyone always has a choice."

That was when Kendrick decided to show up and smirked, "Oh Hansey! I didn't know that you and Annaliese had some sort of history together."

"Shut up, _Kenny_! Why are you doing this to me? Somehow you knew about Annaliese and I! You planned this whole thing just to make me feel like a fool!"

By now the rest of the brothers and even the King joined them in the courtyard and watched the drama unfold. Kendrick strutted over to Annaliese and put his arms around her waist again and planted a big kiss on her lips, Annaliese looked disgusted by it. Hans couldn't take it anymore, he ran over to Kendrick and landed a great punch right in the nose, hearing the snap of the broken bone along with it. Everyone gasped and Kendrick looked stunned at his youngest brother's outburst. Then Kendrick returned the punch right back at Hans followed by another, then a swift kick to the groin and stomach causing Hans to fall powerlessly on the floor. Kendrick ruthlessly grabbed Hans's neck and turned his face towards his own and scoffed in a low voice, "Oh Hans, if only there was someone out there who loved you..." He then slammed Hans's head into the ground.

Kendrick started walking away laughing menacingly just like he always does, but this time something inside Hans snapped. The youngest prince slowly stood up, grabbed the nearest object, which happened to be a rusty pipe, and charged at his brother with a new sense of anger, hatred, and revenge. Annaliese screamed out to Hans, trying to tell him to stop, but he couldn't hear her anymore. All he heard were the lifetime amount of cruel comments his brothers have ever said to him, '_You're nothing...They don't love you...You're alone...You're no good...'_ By the time he came to his senses, Kendrick was lying on the floor bleeding profusely, the guards had pulled Hans off of him and had dragged him down to the dungeon.

* * *

Hans was chained and left alone in the dungeon for the rest of the day. It wasn't until the next morning that the King had come down to visit his youngest son.

"Hans, my boy! That was some fine fighting you did last night! I have never been so proud of you!"

Hans looked up at his father, "You're saying that you're proud of me for beating up my brother?"

"No, I'm proud that you stood up and defended yourself! Didn't it feel good to have justice served after all that Kendrick has done to you?"

"It did feel a little good..."

"And now that all of your brothers see you in a new light, they respect you."

"They're more scared of me that anything else."

"That's even better. One of the best kept secret weapons a king can have is striking fear into those around him. Now I have no doubt that someday you could truly be a great and powerful king!"

"Really?"

"Son, it is far better to be feared, than it is to be loved."

With that he gave Hans a big smile and walked away. Not so much as 2 minutes passed before Annaliese came down with a worried look on her face, "Hans! What happened to you last night? It was like you were someone else?!"

"I was Annaliese...for the first time in my life, I was powerful. I was feared. I was respected."

She knelt down to his eye level, "But that's not who you are, Hans! You're a kind-hearted, sensitive, charming- "

He was starting to lose his patience, "I still am those things! But with more power and control! Annaliese! Kendrick fears me now! All my brothers do! I have my father's respect and I bet if I asked him to approve our marriage, he will!"

She stared at him for a good long minute before standing up, "No Hans."

He looked up at her, "Wait, what?"

She took a step back, "You are not the same man I fell in love with. The man I once loved is gone. He has been replaced with one who only seeks the throne for power and control. You, Hans, are no longer like your mother. You have become like your father and your brothers...Goodbye Hans, for good." And with that she turned around, walked out of the dungeon and never looked back.

* * *

Hans had to stay in the dungeon for a year as punishment for attempted man slaughter, especially on a royal prince. Then after he was released from prison, he was under house arrest and could not leave the palace grounds for the next four years. That gave him a lot of time to think about everything he had ever gone through and also further go down this path of self-destruction. By the time his punishment was over, he was now twenty-three years of age. He was still considered to be one of the king's favorite sons at this point, and was called into a private meeting with the King.

"There he is! My favorite and brightest son! How have you been my boy?"

Hans bowed, "I'm doing fine father."

"Good! Just what I want to hear! Listen, Hans, I received some great news the other day and I've decided that you're just the one I want to send as a representative of the Southern Isle!"

"I am honored father, what is the assignment?"

"You are aware of Arendelle's King and Queen's tragic death at sea two years ago?"

"Yes, father. And I believe it was _three _years ago."

"Ah yes of course! Well it appears that their eldest daughter has come of age to step in as the new Queen of Arendelle. And _you _are to attend the coronation as our kingdom's representative. Sadly, both princesses do not seem to be married which just so happens to open an opportunity for you."

Hans looked skeptical, "How so?"

"You are by far my most charming son. I want you to pursue one of the two royal sisters and, by marriage, eventually secure yourself into Arendelle's throne. Do whatever it takes, and if all goes well, you will become the next King of Arendelle."

Hans continued his skeptical look, "And if something should go wrong?"

"Do not worry, my boy! I will handle it!"

Hans bowed again, "Then it will be done, father."

As Hans packed his bags for Arendelle he couldn't help but think about his mother. _This is it! This is my chance to finally get my own kingdom! And not just any kingdom...Arendelle! I promised you, Mother, that I would someday become king of a grand far away kingdom and now my time has come! I will make you proud, Mother, I promise!_


	11. Chapter 11

**************Hi Everyone! Thank you so much for the kind reviews! As corny as it may sound, reading your reviews really do inspire me to write better and faster! If you've made it this far then you will be happy to know that this chapter is a HUGE relief after all the Hans drama. Please continue to review if you have the time & enjoy! :)**

**************Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**

**Chapter 11: Mercy**

Hans looked up at Elsa, "And that's what brought me to be the man you see before you today."

Behind the closed door they could hear Anna sniffling and whimpering, "I never knew about Annaliese, why didn't you tell me?"

Hans rolled his eyes, "Because when I met you, I was trying to make you fall in love with me. So I didn't think it was a good idea to bring up my past relationship at that exact moment."

Anna slammed open the door and stepped into the cell, "But you broke her heart Hans-"

"She broke _my _heart!"

Elsa couldn't think with their bickering, "Enough!"

The two fell silent. The Queen looked conflicted and wrapped her arms around herself, "Hans...I don't know if I can believe you-"

Hans was alarmed, "What?"

At the same time Anna cried, "Elsa!"

The Queen raised a hand to signal for them quiet down, "You didn't let me finish!" Elsa looked at Hans, "Hans, your story tells me that your father did not care for at all until you were at least eighteen years of age. But when I spoke to your father, before he left he made it seem as though you two grew up very close to one another."

Hans was panicking, "Your Majesty, my father lied to you and me! He told me that I could trust him but instead he sent me back here to be executed! He betrayed me! Queen Elsa, look at me! You saw me come off the boat in this condition, all broken and bruised. If my father truly loved me then he would have protected me from all this harm." When Elsa didn't respond he continued in a softer tone, "Elsa...Anna told me how you hide yourself away for thirteen years in order to _protect_ her, because you loved her. Anna put her life out on the line to _protect_ you, even after you froze her heart, because she sill loved you. Your parents kept you isolated for so long because they loved you and they wanted to _protect_ their daughter from turning into some sort of monster. You had and still have a family that loves and looks after you. After all I've been through, I don't even know what love is anymore."

Anna perked up at the comment, "That's okay I do! Love is putting someone else's needs before your own!" Anna silently thanked Olaf in her head.

This made Hans smile, but the Queen remained quiet. _If what Hans says is true, then at one point in his life he truly was a good man. Anna gave me plenty of second chances when I didn't deserve them, so perhaps it's time I showed someone the mercy that Anna has always showed me._

Elsa cleared her throat and looked at Hans, "It's _Queen _Elsa..."

Hans looked confused, "I'm sorry?"

Elsa continued, "You may also call me 'Your Majesty' if you like..."

Anna looked questioningly at her sister, "Elsa?"

Elsa straightened her posture, "Well if the man is going to work at the castle then he must call me, and also you for that matter, by our royal titles."

Anna was getting excited and started hopping up and down, "So are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Elsa put on her most regal look, "Hans, in order to pay for your crimes in Arendelle, I hereby present you the option to work on staff at the castle for the remaining years of your life in exchange for waiving the death penalty. Do you wish to accept my offer?"

Hans hesitated..._for the rest of my life? Well it's not like I have any family who'll miss me anyways. _He looked up at the queen and smiled, "Yes, Your Majesty. I accept your most gracious offer."

Anna started squealing and hugged her sister, "Yeeee! Thank you, Elsa! Thank you! I promise that you won't regret making this decision! I'll be sure to keep my eye on Hans 24/7!"

Elsa laughed, "No, Anna that won't be necessary..." She threw Hans a stern look, "That will be _my _job." Hans gulped as Elsa continued talking, "_Your _job will be to tell Kristoff about the change in news."

Anna's eyes went wide, "But...but...but!" Elsa gave her sister a look and Anna sighed, "Alright fine...but he won't be happy about this." And with that she slumped away, off to tell Kristoff the news. Elsa looked at her newest staff member, "I will go fetch some guards to release you and bring you back up to the castle. There you will be fitted for your new uniform and then I will send in the doctor to check on your injuries."

Hans cleared his throat, "Excuse me, Your Majesty? Why won't this 'Kristoff' guy be happy with this?"

Elsa's eyes hardened into an icy stare, "...Because he hates your guts." She started to walk out of the cell, but she stopped and talked back to Hans, over her shoulder, "And you managed to let the one girl he ever loved freeze to death before his eyes."

* * *

Back at the stables, Kristoff was sitting down, still leaning against the stable door, and banging his head, "Please...someone...open...the...door..." Until finally he heard someone with keys unlocking the door and he quickly got up and was preparing to bear hug whoever came to his rescue. _Gee, I sure hope it isn't the Queen, because that could get awkward real fast._ The door swung wide open and Anna dramatically appeared singing "Love is an open DOOR!"

Kristoff was surprised, "Anna? You're back?"

Anna gave Kristoff an unimpressed look, "Uh duh, yeah I'm back. And were you _not _just impressed by my amazing timing and performance skills?"

Sven made happy reindeer noises in the background and Anna cheerfully yelled back to the reindeer, "Thank you Sven! At least someone appreciates me!" She grabbed a carrot and patted Kristoff on the shoulder, "It's a shame Olaf didn't find you sooner...he could have opened the door with his carrot nose." She skipped over to her reindeer friend, "Here you go buddy! How's my favorite ice delivering reindeer?"

Sven gladly took the carrot and offered the Princess a bite, "No thank you Sven, I think you deserve to eat the whole carrot once in a while."

Kristoff was confused, "Wait, so you're saying that I could have just used a _carrot_ to open the door?" The mountain man looked around at the multiple bags full of carrots and threw his hands up in the air, "Seriously?!"

Anna laughed and sat down in some fresh clean hay, "Yup! I thought being a mountain man meant that you were extremely resourceful. But I guess I could be wrong, maybe they're only strong and incredibly handsome."

Kristoff couldn't help but smile and sat down next to Anna, "You're right. We're only here to do the heavy lifting and act as the occasional eye-candy treat for the _ladies_," he put his arm around Anna, which made her laugh, "but that's why we need our women to help us out once in a while."

He leaned down and lightly kissed Anna on the lips. Anna looked up at Kristoff and slightly pouted her lips, "I'm sorry about the whole locking-you-in-the-stables-thing. It's just that-"

Kristoff smiled warmly, "Don't worry about it, I'm sure there was some reason for you to do what you did. You have good intentions, Anna, so most of the time when you do something, I usually don't need to question it." Anna gratefully kissed Kristoff on the cheek and rested her head on his sturdy chest, "But what does interest me though, is how you found out that Olaf can open doors with his _nose_?"

A worried look spread across Anna's face, "Well, after Hans locked me in one of the rooms and left me in there to freeze to death, Olaf somehow figured out where I was and came to my rescue. He built a warm fire for me and he actually was the one who made me realize that I loved you and you loved me too."

Kristoff's face darkened, "Hans! That's right! What were you doing going down into the dungeon with that monster?!"

Anna looked up at him and wore a look of desperation on her face, "I had to find a way to get Elsa to come to the dungeon and talk to Hans. And the only way I knew that she would go down after me, was if she thought I was in any immediate danger."

Kristoff looked confused, "Why did you want Elsa to go to the dungeon?" And then it dawned on him, "Unless..." He looked down at Anna, who guiltily shifted her eyes elsewhere, "No Anna please don't tell me that you _somehow_ got Elsa to change her mind about Hans."

Anna gave him a cheeky smile, "Too late...Hans's death penalty has already been waived. He is now the newest castle staff member and will be under the close strict watch of my sister."

Kristoff ran his hand through his hair, "Oh Anna...I sure hope you know what you're doing. Just be sure to keep me away from him because I'm not making any promises that I don't personally deck him for what he did to you."

Anna flirtatiously walked her fingers up Kristoff's chest, "Don't worry, I'm sure I can find _some _way to keep you pretty occupied."

Kristoff leaned in for a kiss, "Oh yeah? And what exactly do you have in mind?"

Anna abruptly stood up and brushed herself off, "Well, I guess I can always lock you in another room again!"

Kristoff laughed, "You can, but thanks to you, I now know how to escape."

Anna sauntered away with her hands behind her back, "Not _every _room has a carrot in it..."

Kristoff continued laughing, stood up and started chasing after Anna. She screamed with delight and started running through the courtyard with Kristoff right behind her.

* * *

On her way out of the dungeon, Elsa noticed a secretly hidden passageway leading towards what appeared to be a single prison cell, one she had never seen before. As the Queen slowly approached it, she felt a strange chill run up her spine. _That's odd...I don't usually get the chills. _But one more glance at the strangely familiar cell door caused an unsettling feeling in her stomach, one that told her to stay away from there. Elsa stopped walking and decided to trust her instinct, so she just turned around and headed back up the spiral staircase.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey Guys! Just a quick friendly reminder to please keep reviewing, and I'll be sure to add more chapters later today. Thanks & Enjoy! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**

**Chapter 12: Recovery (I)**

Elsa was walking through the halls on her way to go see how Hans's uniform fitting was going. She knew she had to keep a close eye on Hans because although she may have spared his life, she was far from trusting him. She had left Hans alone with several guards in order to let him get settled in his quarters and also clean himself up a little. _I know he may be a criminal but he certainly does not need to look like one, especially if he is to be a part of my staff. _Just as Elsa reached Hans's quarters, Gerda and Kai were both running in her direction.

Gerda was the first to speak, "My lady, is it true that you have spared Hans's life in exchange for employment here at the castle?"

Elsa didn't know how they would respond so she thoughtfully replied, "Yes, Gerda. I did what Anna suggested and listened to Hans's side of the story, and after some serious thought I decided that it would be best to give him a second chance to redeem himself. But I will also be keeping a very close eye on him at all times. He is treading on very thin ice with me, no pun intended."

Kai smiled, "Your Majesty, I think that you made the right decision morally."

The Queen was shocked, "Wait, what? But I thought you said Hans should pay the death penalty?"

Kai's face turned serious, "We did Your Majesty, as your servants our duty is to keep you on the right side of the law. But as close friends, we thought that Hans deserved a second chance."

Now Gerda spoke up, "My lady, you didn't see the way Hans cared for the people of Arendelle during the eternal winter. He was a completely different man than the one who tried to kill you. He was kind, caring, and very polite. He was a true gentleman."

Elsa felt a little better about her decision to spare Hans's life and smiled at her two friends, "Thank you Kai. Thank you Gerda. I am very pleased to hear about the good things Hans did during Anna's and my absence. Perhaps the good man he once was is still in there, and hopefully we can bring him back out."

Elsa entered Hans's quarters to find a clean and well-groomed Hans lying in bed, without his shirt on, while the doctor checked on some serious looking bruises on his chest and stomach. The doctor became frazzled when he saw the Queen walk in, "Your Majesty! You shouldn't be in here right now-"

Elsa held up her hand, "It's fine doctor, I told Hans that I would keep a close eye on him at all times. Unless, of course, he is indecent."

The doctor bowed his head apologetically, "Yes, Your Majesty, of course."

Elsa politely smiled, "So what is your prognosis on the seriousness of the injuries?"

The doctor fixed his glasses and started to gather his things, "Well, he has severe bruises along his entire body, a few cracked ribs, a broken nose, a cut lip, a black eye, a few other bloody cuts and scrapes here and there, but most importantly a superficial fracture on his right femur bone."

The Queen was shocked, "And their approximate healing times?"

The doctor started walking towards the door, "The bruises, scrapes, cut lip, and black eye will be healing from anywhere between a week to a month. The cracked ribs and broken nose will take a bit longer, somewhere between a month to two months. But the fractured femur will take at the very least three months before he can start walking on it, with a crutch of course."

Elsa frowned, "So he cannot begin work until at least three months have passed?"

He smiled weakly, "Precisely! Now he needs to have the bloody bandages changed every hour until the bleeding stops, and rearrange the wraps around the ribs and femur whenever necessary, usually when he feels any pain or discomfort. Is there anything else, Your Majesty?"

The Queen shook her head, "No, that will be all. Thank you doctor."

Once the doctor walked out and closed the door behind himself, it was only Hans and Elsa in the room. Now that the doctor was gone, being alone with Hans seemed a bit awkward and was making Elsa feel uncomfortable, especially with him not wearing his shirt. She cleared her throat, "Um, if it's not too much trouble for you...could you possibly put your shirt back on?"

Hans's face turned slightly red and he sheepishly reached for his shirt, "My apologizes Queen Elsa."

Once he grabbed hold of his shirt, he tried to sit up but every move he made seemed to create more sharp pains passing through his entire body. He winced and laid back down defeated, "With all due respect, Your Majesty, may I just leave the shirt off? The pain is far too great for me to even sit up, let alone put on a shirt."

Elsa nodded, "Oh, yes of course." Another awkward silence fell upon them. Hans closed his eyes and took a deep breath, Elsa used this opportunity to study Hans and his injuries. _He is obviously in a great amount of pain. What on earth happened back home? He must have really ticked off his brothers in order to receive such a beating. And his father must have been willing to turn a blind eye to what his other sons were doing to Hans. This man was raised by animals, no worse than animals...monsters, and that would definitely cause a huge impact on how he turned out._

Elsa noticed that Hans was starting to drift asleep, but she suddenly remembered that he had to have his bandages changed every hour, "Hans? Hans, I need you to not fall asleep just yet."

He groggily opened his eyes, "Hmm?"

Elsa hastily grabbed some new bandages and sat down on the bed beside Hans, "The doctor said to change your bandages every hour until the bleeding stops, so I wanted to make sure that I did that before you fell asleep. I wouldn't want to wake you in just a few short minutes to change your bandages, so this way you are ensured at least an hour of sleep."

He started waking up a little more, "But then what will you do while I sleep?"

Elsa smiled and glanced towards the comfy chair across the room, "I'll be here waiting to change your bandages for the next hour."

She started changing the bandages and took in how much he was still bleeding. _I never noticed how badly these wounds actually were. _They both remained silent as the Queen continued attending to his wounds.

When Elsa had finished, she went to go wash her hands, and when came back Hans was looking at her suspiciously. She raised her eyebrows, "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Hans cautiously answered, "Why are you doing this?"

"Because it's what the doctor ordered, he said-"

"I meant...why are you taking time out of your night to address my injuries? You could easily get some other servant to come and change my bandages every hour. But you're choosing to stay with me...why?"

Elsa sighed, "Well, first of all, I wasn't joking when I said that I would be keeping a very close eye on you at _all _times. Secondly, it was my decision to waive your death penalty and provide you with medical assistance, and I feel it wouldn't be right to force another servant to stay up all night when they had no say in the matter. My decision means my responsibility." She walked over to her seat and held up an object, "Besides, I have a book to read. I've been trying to get started on it, but every time I do, something else seems to pop up and require my immediate attention."

Hans smiled, "My mother would have _really _liked you, you know that?"

Elsa smiled back at him, "And I think that I would have really liked her, as well. Is there anything else you need?"

Hans winced, "Yes, actually, one more thing. Could you rearrange the wrap around my ribs? It is starting to cause great discomfort and pain."

Elsa put the book down and rushed over to Hans, "Sure, would you like it looser or tighter?"

Hans winced again, "Tighter, please." He took in a short breath when Elsa's hands touched his skin. She grimaced, "I'm sorry, I kind of have cold hands. Maybe I should go get another servant-"

Hans's eyes widened, "No! It's fine! It actually felt really good...the cold, I mean!"

Elsa returned to adjusting the wrap, "Okay...if you say so." Hans tried to do his best not to show it, but Elsa could tell that he was experiencing a whole lot of pain. He would close his eyes and Elsa could see him clenching his teeth. He occasionally would let out a small grunt or shorten his breathing if the pain was serious. Eventually he felt comfortable enough that he could steady his breathing. Elsa felt relieved, "There we go, perhaps next time we'll get a little better with this and you won't have to experience as much pain."

Hans appreciatively smiled up at her, "You did a fine job, Queen Elsa. Your cold hands made the pain bearable."

Elsa got up and made her way back to her seat, "Well, I'm glad that at least my powers could do some good, other than making it snow."

Hans closed his eyes, "You could do a lot of good things with your powers..."

She sat down in her chair and faced Hans, "Such as?" But he was already asleep.

Elsa leaned back, opened her book, looked at Hans, and sighed. _Now I don't want to read anymore... _But she eventually fell into the rhythm of the book and throughout the night, every hour, she attended to Hans's wounds. The former prince was so exhausted that he never woke up once during the night.


	13. Chapter 13

**I am so sorry I didn't post yesterday even though I said I would! My computer was having troubles and then it ended up deleting all of my work for this chapter, so I had to start all over again. Then I had a family party to go earlier today (we watched Frozen by the way which was the best part, of course!) And lastly, my Spring Break is now over so I had to get everything together for class tomorrow. But enough excuses, I would really like to thank you all for the very kind reviews, and I will try to update as much as I possibly can because you guys deserve it. Please keep the reviews coming (if you have the time, of course) and enjoy the next chapter! :)**

******************Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**

**Chapter 13: Recovery (II)**

_Hans was running through the castle halls of the Southern Isles, not knowing from who or what or where he is running to. Everything was dark, he couldn't see anything until he spotted a single door off in the distance and headed straight towards it. Once through the door he realized that he was in the library back home. He was comforted by the familiar room and walked over to his favorite place by the fireplace. He noticed that there was something lying in his seat, a single green ribbon. He didn't have a chance to give it much thought because all of a sudden he heard menacing laughter behind him. He quickly turned around to find that nobody was there, then he heard it again from behind, louder, closer than before. All of a sudden, the room started shrinking and he sprinted towards the library door. Once he made it though, he realized that he had entered the castle gardens. He looked around and saw a familiar figure standing in their usual spot. "Annaliese!" he called out to her, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. Annaliese turned around and a look of horror spread across her face upon see Hans. She ran away with Hans following after, and when Hans turned the corner he abruptly stop. He saw Annaliese run into Kendrick's open arms, and as Kendrick leaned down to kiss her, he stopped short of her lips. "Oh Anna..." Kendrick's face morphed into Hans's and Annaliese morphed into Anna, "...if only there was someone out there who loved you." A blur of white snow surrounded Hans, temporarily blinding him, until he spotted a single clearing through which he saw a devastated Elsa lying on the ice. Behind her, Hans saw himself take out his sword and slice the weapon through the air towards Elsa._

"NOOOO!" Hans woke up sweating and breathing very hard, very fast. Elsa was already beside him, placing a cool wet cloth on his forehead, "It's okay, Hans. Everything is fine. It was just a dream."

Hans looked down and noticed that he had several blankets covering him, "What's with all the blankets?"

"You were shivering in your sleep," Elsa started removing a few, "so I ran and got you some blankets."

"Oh...thank you." His breathing returned to normal while he looked around the room, "What time is it anyways?"

"About five thirty in the morning," Elsa was dabbing the cloth around Hans's face, avoiding eye contact with him, "So...did you want to talk about it?"

"Umm..." There was _no _way he was going to tell Elsa that he had been reliving the horrid things he did to her and her sister, "...it was just some bad family memories."

Elsa looked up at him sympathetically, "Okay..." she said slowly, then stepped away to hang up the cloth by the window.

He noticed that she was still wearing the same black and teal dress from yesterday and her hair was still perfectly wrapped in a complicated bun, "Did you want to change?"

Elsa turned around and looked at Hans, "What?" She turned around fast enough that a small strand of hair fell out and perfectly placed itself in front of her face. As she gracefully tucked the hair behind her ear, the sun rose over the mountain, casting a delicate glow onto her face and body.

For a moment, Hans was speechless, "Uhh..." He cleared his throat, "I noticed you haven't changed at all since yesterday, so I thought that you would like to go change into something else."

She looked down, "Oh!" She looked slightly embarrassed, "You're right, I didn't even notice."

Hans started talking quickly, "I mean it's fine, it's not like you stink or anything. I just thought you would like a fresh set of clothing-" he abruptly stopped talking when he noticed that he was blabbering.

Elsa giggled, "Thank you, I understand what you meant."

Hans's faced turned slightly red. Elsa walked to the door and stuck her head out into the hall. He could hear her talking to someone, but he couldn't understand what they were saying. She stuck her head back in, "Okay, I sent for Kai and a guard to come watch you." She walked over to where she had been sitting all night and picked up her book, "Kai is one of my most trusted servants and closest friends," She gave Hans a hard look, which kind of caught him off guard, "if something should happen to him-"

"Elsa look at me, I'm practically a vegetable. If I can't even put on a shirt by myself, then I definitely won't be able to try anything..." He quickly added, "not that I was planning to anyways."

The Queen briefly looked him up and down then walked to the door, "Just crossing my t's and dotting my i's..." Then she just strode out the door, without even one more glance at Hans. He just closed his eyes, deeply sighed, and fell back asleep to avoid anymore pain, physically and now emotionally.

* * *

After Elsa had her bath, she put on her light blue silk robe and was going through the dresses in her closest as she heard a familiar knock on her door. "Come on in Anna!"

Anna slowly walked in and yawned, "How did you know it was me?"

"You've been knocking on my door for the past thirteen years, I know what your knock sounds like." Elsa looked at her sister's wild bedhead and noticed a bit of dried drool on her cheek, she laughed, "You look terrible!"

Anna sleepily shuffled across the room and fell onto Elsa's bed, "Hmm...your bed is nice and cold, how long ago did you get up?. Must have been a while since your sheets are no longer warm."

Elsa turned back to her closet, "Actually I haven't been in my bed all night."

Her sister closed her eyes, "Huh? Where did you sleep then?"

The Queen mindlessly stated, "In Hans's room."

Anna quickly sat up straight and looked at her sister with wide eyes, "Elsa?"

Elsa turned around, "What?" She thought about what she just said then her eyes widened, "Oh! No! Anna, I didn't mean it like that! I spent the night in Hans's room, but we actually didn't get a whole lot of sleep-"

Anna screamed even louder, "ELSA!?"

Elsa started blushing and held up her hands, "No! Wait! I mean, Hans was asleep but I was sitting in a chair _across_ the room reading a book because the doctor ordered that someone had to stay up and change his bandages every hour throughout the night until the bleeding stopped. So I didn't actually spend the night _with_ Hans, I just spent it in his room, hence, the cold sheets."

Anna let out a long loud breath, "Phew! For a moment there, I thought something was going on between the two of you." She laughed, "Isn't that just ridiculous?!"

Elsa faked a laugh, "Yeah...completely ludicrous."

Anna noticed Elsa's phony laugh, "Wait, you're not seriously developing any feelings for the guy, right?"

Elsa picked out a dress, place it on her bed, sat beside Anna cross-legged, and sincerely looked her sister in the eye, "No, Anna, I do not. After everything that man has done to you, I would find it almost repulsive to even think about having any romantic feelings towards him."

Anna caringly placed her hands on her sister's, "Elsa, I know first hand what Hans's charms are capable of. But for once, I am the one protecting _you _when I say that you should keep your heart off-limits around him." She stopped and thought for a moment, "Well, at least until we know that we can trust him again, but even then I would remain cautious."

Elsa warmly smiled, "Thanks, sis. But there's really no need to worry about my feelings..." She looked down at her hands, "...I do a pretty fair job when it comes to controlling my emotions." _Most of the time..._

They heard another knock at the door, then Gerda's voice, "Princess Anna are you in there? Kristoff is waiting for you in the courtyard."

Anna perked up, "Coming!" She noticed Elsa's questioning look, "Kristoff and I are headed up into the mountains to go harvest some ice. Well he's going to harvest ice, I'm just gonna watch and provide lunch."

Elsa smirked, "Well then you better get going!"

Her sister giggled and hugged Elsa, then jumped off the bed, "I'm going, I'm going!"

Elsa laughed, "Have fun!"

Her sister gave her a silly salute, "Yes Ma'am!"

"And remember to stay safe and warm!"

Anna dramatically turned towards her sister, "The cold never bothered me anyway!"

Elsa gave her an unimpressed look, "I knew I would regret telling you about that."

Anna laughed, "I always knew you could dance!"

Elsa threw a pillow at her, "Just go already! You're keeping poor Kristoff waiting!"

Anna swung open the door and looked back at her sister, "Love you, Elsa."

Elsa smiled warmly, "I love you too, Anna."

And with that she was gone, running down the halls to go get ready for her 'date'. Elsa closed the door and started to get dressed, _I love the way Anna's face completely lights up whenever someone even mentions Kristoff's name. And I have definitely noticed that the same goes for Kristoff, vice versa. _She sighed and started working on her hair. _Now if only I could find someone who I could love and have them love me back as much as Anna and Kristoff love each other. _She put her crown on and looked at herself in the mirror, _But probably not._


	14. Chapter 14

******************Hey guys! Hope everyone's doing well! I've finished another chapter, and I hope you like it! I'm just going to say that I've got a lot of ideas brewing in my mind and I hope to get more out tomorrow or the day after. Please continue to review and enjoy! :)**

******************Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**

**Chapter 14: Mistaken**

Two weeks passed since Hans's life was spared and he was recovering very quickly. Elsa had been in his room once or twice more but she was mostly trying to avoid seeing him as much as possible. She told Anna that she didn't have any romantic feelings towards Hans, which she didn't, but she did feel sympathy for him. After listening to his life story prior to coming to Arendelle, she realized that they were very similar to one another. They both grew up in isolation because of fear and they both seek to be loved. At least Elsa had and, thankfully, still has Anna, but Hans has no one. Elsa had read plenty of books were the villain redeemed himself and the girl eventually fell in love with him, and because of that, she avoided Hans knowing that her current sympathy could lead into something _more, _which frightened her.

Thankfully, being a queen kept her relatively busy, "Your Majesty, now that the docks are repaired, the council wishes to meet with you soon to discuss other matters."

Elsa continued walking down the castle corridors, "Please let them know that my agenda is completely booked and will, therefore, schedule them for next week."

Kai bowed, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Elsa stopped walking and looked at her servant with a concerned expression, "Kai? How is Hans doing? I have not seen him at all this week."

Kai smiled, "He is doing much better, although he is starting to get a little restless from staying in bed all day. Perhaps a visit from the Queen will take his mind off things for a while?"

Elsa expression was unreadable but she just nodded, "Perhaps I should relieve the guards for a while…" She started to make her way to Hans's room, then stopped, "But then again, there is so much that needs to get done that-"

Kai had a mischievous twinkle in his eye, "Your Majesty? Part of your job is to make certain that those of your staff are healthy and ready to serve at all times. So technically you're still doing your job, but it just so happens that this task also requires you to take a break."

Elsa couldn't help but laugh at Kai's twisted logic, "I can't help but get the feeling that you _want _me to go?"

He raised one of his eyebrows, "Well Your Majesty, it's definitely a part of the job."

She smiled, "Alright, I'll go."

* * *

Elsa gently knocked on Hans's door, not wanting to wake him if he was asleep. When she didn't hear a reply she quietly opened the door, and attempted to peek in to see if Hans was decent. _The last thing I need right now is to see Hans indecent and completely humiliate both of us. _She started blushing at the thought, _and then I definitely wouldn't be able to talk to him without any awkward tension around us. It was uncomfortable enough the first night when he couldn't put his shirt on so I was basically staying the night in a room with a half-naked man, which I, unfortunately, couldn't help but notice how in shape he was. _She noticed that she had started to freeze to door handle and quickly let go. _Get a grip with yourself, Elsa! Remember what he did to Anna!_ Hans was asleep so she made her way to the seat across the room from him, and opened up the book she had brought with her.

In about five minutes Hans woke up and squinted his eyes at her, not knowing who she was at first glance, "Elsa?"

She regally looked up from her book, "It's _Queen_ Elsa, we aren't on the same level anymore."

He apologized sheepishly, "My apologizes, Your Majesty. I keep on forgetting that I am no longer a prince. It's still rather new to me. And for the record, even as a prince I was never on the same level as you."

Elsa put her book down and sat on the edge of his bed, "How are you feeling? You look a lot better than you did last week." She gave his face the once over, "No more cut lip, no more black eye, no more bruising, and your broken nose seems to be doing well."

He smiled, "Yes, my superficial wounds are mostly healed thanks to you and the doctor. I just wish that my femur and my ribs would heal just as fast."

A concerned expression came across her face, "Are you still in a lot of pain?"

"Not as much as I was the first night here, but it is still rather painful." He tried to sit up but he was still weak from all the injuries.

"Here let me help you prop up the pillow…" She reached for his pillow.

He tried to sit up again, "No, its fine I need to do this myself-"

She leaned over the bed further, "Please I insist-"

His arms were starting to give out, "Your Majesty, I can do it-"

Then all of a sudden, Hans's arms collapsed underneath himself and the pillow flew out from beneath him as Elsa gave the pillow one final tug. Hans's head fell back on the headboard with a loud _BANG!_ while Elsa lost her balance and fell right on top of him, causing him to shout from the pain.

Elsa quickly lifted her weight off of him, "I'm so sorry!" Her body was still hovering above his, "Are you hurt?"

And to her surprise, he started laughing, "I'm fine! You're not _that _heavy! You actually remind me of Anna when I first met her at the docks."

Elsa started giggling as she remembered the awkward tale her sister had told her a while back, "At least we know it's a genetics thing!"

Gradually, Hans stopped laughing and just looked at her. Her face was so close to his that he could have easily reach up and kissed her and she, too, noticed his intense gaze upon her. She quickly got off of him before someone was to come in and see them in this indecent position, "Ah…ehem…well…"

Hans was slightly disappointed when she got off, "You didn't hurt yourself, did you?"

She patted down the wrinkles on her dress and adjusted her crown, "No…no I'm fine."

Hans roguishly grinned, "Good thing there weren't any guards around to see that…" he got a naughty twinkle in his eye, "…we wouldn't want them to get the wrong idea about us."

Elsa was actually irritated by his sly remark, "No we would not."

Hans continued grinning, "Which actually brings up a question I've wanted to ask you…How come anyone who comes in here has to be accompanied by at least one guard, while you _insist _on coming in here by yourself?"

Now Elsa was actually getting angry on what he was instigating. She turned around, grabbed her book, and glared icy daggers back at him, "Because they all know what I am capable of…" She stormed to the door and harshly said over her shoulder, "…and I know that _you _know too." And with that, she was gone.

Hans laid his head back, covered his eyes with his arm, and left out a deep sigh, "Rule number one: Do not tease the Queen."

* * *

Elsa furiously strode down the hall, passing Kai who was talking to Anna at the moment. He noticed the Queen heading their way, "Oh, Your Majesty! How did everything go with-"

She walked right past them, "It was a mistake."

Kai and Anna looked at each other and Anna shrugged. Kai followed after Elsa, "What happened?"

Her voice was cold, "Nothing worth repeating, but let's just say that Hans almost got his nose broken again."

Kai was trying to keep up with her brisk walking pace, "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I just thought that-"

The Queen didn't show any signs of slowing down, "I need to go; There are better things that require my attention." Then she just took off down the hall.


	15. Chapter 15

**********************Please keep reviewing and I'll try to get another chapter out tomorrow! Thanks & Enjoy! :)**

**********************Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**

**Chapter 15: Monster**

Three months have past and the first week of November was upon the Kingdom of Arendelle. Although it's been fall for quite a while, some of the leaves were still changing color on a few of the trees around the kingdom. Anna loved watching the seasons change when she was younger, it gave her hope that maybe the changes of the new season would bring a change with her relationship with the sister she never saw. Elsa, on the other hand, did not care for the changing seasons because she knew that the change in seasons meant that she was getting older, and her powers were becoming more powerful. But now, Elsa saw a different kind of beauty in the changing seasons. She saw herself as a tree and its changing leaves, slowly changing how she came across to people and eventually, she would shed her cold exterior and a new "Elsa" would emerge, just as a tree's leaves fall and die in the winter, but new, brighter, prettier, and healthier leaves appear in the spring.

Elsa stood in the gardens with her sister as Anna tried to explain the point of jumping into a leaf pile, "Basically…after you collect enough leaves so that the pile is big enough, you jump!"

Elsa's face remained questionable, "But, I still don't get it…what's the point?"

Anna became exasperated, "It's fun! Come on, Elsa! You're too serious! You need to have more fun! You do know how to have fun right?" Anna crossed her arms and gave her sister a challenging look.

Elsa raised her eyebrows, then smiled and took off her crown, "Hold this…" She handed her crown to Anna and then proceeded to take several steps away from the pile. She spoke to herself, "Okay, this is supposed to be fun." As Anna cheered her on, she took a deep breath, and charged towards the leaf pile, feeling a sort of adrenaline rush as she jumped. Anna put the crown down onto the nearest bench, ran towards the pile, and jumped beside her sister who was laughing aloud.

Elsa turned towards her sister, "So, this is what fun is like?"

Anna smiled, "Fun is doing something you love _with _the people you love, Elsa."

Elsa embraced Anna and hugged her little sister very tightly, "Then this was truly fun."

Suddenly Elsa pushed Anna back and held her by her shoulders, "Anna? Where is my crown?"

Anna put her hand on Elsa's shoulder, "Oh! I didn't want to damage it so I put it down on that bench over there-"Anna pointed over to the bench, but her eyes widened when she noticed that it was gone. "Uh…well it _was _over there."

Elsa quickly got up from the leaf pile and ran over to the bench, checking the ground around the area, and soon she got down on all fours and crawled underneath the bench.

Anna calmly walked over to her sister, "Uh…Elsa?"

Her sister was starting to panic and the ground began to frost over, "Not now Anna! I need to find that crown!"

A masculine voice spoke above Elsa, "Excuse me, Your Majesty?"

Elsa looked up and saw Hans holding out his hand with _her _crown in his grasp, "What-"She banged her head on the bench, "Ouch!"

Hans handed the crown to Anna, bent down, gently grabbed Elsa by the elbows, and helped her stand back up, "Your Majesty, are you alright?"

She forcefully pulled away from him, "I'm fine…What are you doing out here?"

Hans put one arm across his waist and respectively bowed, "Footman Hans at your service, Your Majesty."

She suspiciously eyed him up and down, "I thought you still had to be on crutches? It's only been three months."

Hans tightly smiled, "I heal pretty quickly…I've been roughed up badly before so my body is used to making speedy recoveries."

Elsa rolled her shoulders back and lifted her chin regally, "I see…well then, I want to see you in my study to discuss your new position here."

He bowed again, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Anna silently handed her sister back the crown and Elsa delicately place it upon her head. As the Queen and her new footman started to make their way back to the castle, Anna came up beside her sister, "Ehem…Elsa?" She removed pieces of leaves from her hair, "You got a little something in your hair."

The Queen blushed and as Anna continued picking leaves out of her hair, Hans quietly walked behind them, holding back a laugh.

* * *

Elsa sat behind the desk in her study as Hans and Kai both stood before her, "Gentlemen, I have been thinking." She looked at Hans, "Hans, I told you a while back that I would only waive your death penalty if you worked on staff here at the castle permanently, but I also side-noted that _I _would be the one watching you very closely, everyday." Hans only nodded in response, so the Queen continued, "I know that I haven't exactly been watching you too much during your recovery, but all of that is about to change." She looked at Kai and smiled, "Kai, you have been my personal servant for as long as I can remember, but you and I both know that I can only have one personal _male _servant. So, you see where I am conflicted."

Kai nervously spoke up, "Your Majesty, are you firing me?"

Elsa leaned forward on her desk and clasped her hands together, smiling at her friend, "Of course not, in fact, I am promoting you to be my royal advisor. I have wanted to promote you for awhile, but we could not find anyone to replace you…" She looked over at Hans, "…Until now." She looked backed to Kai, "You will start receiving your new salary by the end of the week."

Kai widely grinned, "Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you so much! May I please go tell Gerda the good news?"

Elsa laughed, "Of course you can. You earned it, Kai. Now go tell your wife the news!"

Kai started towards the door, "I will, Your Majesty! Thank you!" And with that he was gone, leaving Elsa and Hans alone, again.

Elsa's warm gaze had turned cold once her new advisor left, making Hans shift uncomfortably. She stood up, "Congratulations Hans, you just got promoted to be my new _personal _servant. That way I can keep an eye on you at _all_ times." She walked around to the front of her desk and stood directly in front of Hans, "Now, I have a meeting with my council to get to and I'm sure they would just _love_ to meet you." She started towards the door, but stopped right in front of it. She cleared her throat and looked back at Hans, hinting for him to get the door. He rushed over and opened it, "My apologizes, Queen Elsa."

As they continued their walk towards the meeting room, Hans spoke up, "Your Majesty? If its fine with you, may I be allowed a quick debrief about the meeting we're heading to?"

At first Elsa didn't think it was any of his business, but figured that since he will eventually hear about it at the meeting, there's no harm telling him the main points right now, "Over the past week and a half, my council and I have been at odds about the establishment of new trade partners and the impact it will have upon our economy."

Hans was troubled, "Are we in some economic trouble?"

The Queen sighed, "No quite the opposite, really. Since we've been extremely fortunate to have had a bountiful harvest once again this year, Arendelle has started producing more food than what we can actually use. Therefore, I proposed that we use this as an opportunity to reach out to other kingdoms, before the winter season begins, who were less fortunate than Arendelle as a way to gain more trade alliances."

Hans nodded, "Sounds logical, so why is the council against it?"

She frowned, "They think it is foolish of me to offer up our number one export, besides ice, before the winter season begins. They think that I am putting the people of Arendelle in great harm if I go forward with this plan. But I have run the numbers over and over again, and I _know _that my people will have _more _than enough food to last them at the very least seven months before going into rations."

He thought about it, "Why don't you just wait until after the winter season to act on your plan? That way your council will be satisfied but your plan will still go forward, it'll just be a little postponed."

She stopped walking and looked Hans in the eye, "When you were temporarily in charge of Arendelle during the eternal winter, there was a food shortage was there not?"

Hans nodded, "Yes, the people were very worried that they would not have enough to support their families, let alone survive."

Elsa gave him a curt nod, "Exactly, and I do not wish that problem on any other kingdom. Therefore, if I can prevent that from happening, then I must try to do so." She turned away and continued towards the meeting room door, when Hans put his hand on the doorknob, Elsa put her hand on his arm to stop him. She whispered, "Do you hear that?"

Hans shook his head, but then realized he _did _hear something. Both him and Elsa put their ears against the door so they could hear the councilmen talking, "We have to shoot down Queen Elsa's plan to encourage new trade alliances, if not she could possibly put Arendelle back into ruin!"

"It wouldn't be the first time she almost destroyed Arendelle."

"The King was right to fear her, and her powers! Who knows what she is thinking!"

"Anna was supposed to be the heir to the throne, not Elsa. If only the King and Queen had lived long enough to see their youngest daughter come of age to take the throne."

"Elsa became queen by default!"

"Well if worse comes to worse; we can always lock her back up in her special cell."

"It's true! We made sure to fix that first, before anything else, and we even made some adjustments to counter the ice."

"The King had plenty of blueprints lying around that could help us contain the Queen, each designed to better confine her as her powers grow."

"What a brilliant man our late King was! He knew how to control that monstrous daughter of his."

Elsa's heart was beating so loud that it drowned out the rest their conversation. Hans cautiously looked at her, not knowing what to say or what was going to happen next. Confusion and fear shot through her veins as the hallway walls began to ice over and snow slowly started swirling around her and Hans. Next, as anger and betrayal overcame her, sharp icicles started to protrude from everywhere around them. Hans noticed Elsa looking down at the doorknob and quickly moved his hand just moments before she sent a cold hard blast at it, making sure to lock the councilmen inside. She turned around and stormed off towards the dungeon, with a trail of ice following behind her.

* * *

As Elsa ran down the spiral staircase she made a sharp right turn down the hidden passageway she found months earlier, and came across a single prison cell door. _Now I know why this looked familiar, I had been held prisoner here, before when Hans brought me back from the North Mountain. I had noticed that when Hans was locked up in the dungeon, he had normal iron hand cuffs on, not the ones I was force to wear when I was held captive. At the time I found it odd, but irrelevant to the situation, so I ignored it. _She strode over to the door, swung it wide open, and stepped inside. Sure enough, it was the same cell, although now it was completely refurbished and wiped clean of any ice residue. She took another step forward, accidentally kicking a stone that rolled and hit something that sounded like glass. She looked underneath the wooden bench and a horrific sight was hidden beneath. Elsa reached underneath and pulled out the pair of icy broken hand cuffs she had previously frozen in order to escape. A large lumped formed in her throat and, once again, she couldn't control her emotions anymore and she burst into tears.

Hans had followed her and stepped into the cell just as Elsa started bawling. His heart ached for her, for he saw glimpses of himself in her, and he just wished that he could put his arms around her and comfort her. But instead, he just stood by the doorway and let her cry, for there was nothing he could do to console her, at this time.


	16. Chapter 16

**************************Hey everyone! Thank you all for writing very kind reviews, they make me smile when I read them. Please continue to review and I will try to release another update tomorrow! Now, let the next adventure begin! **

**************************Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**

**Chapter 16: The Plague (I)**

After about fifteen minutes, Elsa's tears stopped flowing and were reduced to small sniffles. Hans cleared his throat to make sure not to startle the Queen, but she still jumped a little anyways, "How long have you been there?"

He shuffled a few steps into the cell, "About fifteen minutes."

She turned towards him with tears still brimming her eyes, "I'm sorry you had to hear all those nasty comments from the councilmen-"

Hans chuckled, "Hold it right there, Your Majesty, I should be the one telling you that, not the other way around."

She sighed, "Yeah I suppose."

Hans walked closer to her, "Your Majesty?" He knelt down beside her, "I know it may not mean that much coming from me, but, if I were you, I wouldn't listen to a single word those men said about you." He cautiously put a hand on her shoulder, and when she didn't react he continued, "I know you aren't putting Arendelle in any peril, and-"

"I don't care about that. I know that they are wrong about my intentions to initiate new trade alliances before winter, it's just-"

Tears started sliding down her cheeks and Hans gently wiped them away, "Then why are you crying if you know that what they said was wrong?"

She looked down at her shaking hands, "Because they were right about something…" Hans raised his eyebrows at her as she pulled herself away from him and wrapped her arms around herself, "I _am _a monster!"

Hans was surprised by her sudden outburst, "What? Your Majesty, you are no-"

Elsa continued yelling, "No, Hans! Don't lie to me! I know that at some point you thought the same thing, right?"Hans guiltily looked down but said nothing, "Of course you did, because it's true! What kind of person has to have a specific prison cell made specially to contain them? What kind of person almost kills her sister, twice?! What kind of person can summon ice and snow with a flick of their wrist? A monster, that's who!" She took a deep breath then quietly whispered, "I realized that after everything Anna has done for me…I never did anything for her in return."

Hans started to see Elsa in a different kind of light; she was not just some cold hearted queen, she was a selfless young woman who was scared of hurting those she loved the most. She would rather die than to see a loved one suffer because of her. Hans thoughtfully looked at the Queen, "Your Majesty, you know that's not true. Princess Anna got her sister back, she can finally have the loving sister relationship she's always dreamed of."

She looked up at him, "But I wish that I could something more…Anna risked her life to save me, and the only thing I've ever done to her was shut her out."

"Queen Elsa, everything you did was to protect her. I've grown up knowing that I was unwanted, that I was a nobody…that I was unloved. You _know _that you did what you had to do to protect the ones you loved," His eyes met hers; "You sacrificed a big part of your life by hiding yourself away."

There was a spark that both Hans and Elsa felt as they both looked at each other very differently than when they first met. Elsa opened her mouth to say something, but quickly shut it as she and Hans heard footsteps coming towards them. Hans promptly stood up and positioned himself protectively in front of his queen, as Kristoff ran towards them with a look of panic in his eyes, "Your Majesty! Queen Elsa…" He bowed.

Elsa stood with a worried expression on her face, "Kristoff, what's wrong?"

He was breathing hard, "It's Anna-"

That was all she needed to hear before she ran past the two men and hurried up the stairs. By the time the men caught up with her, she was already half way across the courtyard, running towards the castle, "Where is she Kristoff?"

Kristoff was huffing and puffing, "In…her…bedroom! I…already…called…for…the…doctor!"

She raised her eyebrows, "Doctor?!" She sprinted even faster towards her sister's bedroom.

Kristoff groaned,_ what's with these sisters and their marathon running?_

As the group of three reached the princess's bedroom, one of the nurses was standing outside, making sure to block the door, "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but you cannot go in there right now, doctors orders."

Elsa desperately turned to Kristoff, "What happened?!"

Kristoff was bent over with his hands on his knees, trying to slow down his breathing, "We were goofing around in the gardens, by the waterfall, and she started coughing a lot. She said she just had a tickle in her throat, but then all of a sudden she just collapsed! Luckily I was close enough to grab her before she went over the falls, but she was shivering profoundly despite the fact that she was burning up."

Elsa's eyes widened and turned back to the nurse, "You have to let me in there, _now_!"

The young nurse shifted uncomfortably, "I'm sorry, Queen Elsa, but-"

The door opened and the doctor stepped out with a worried look, "Your Majesty, may I please have a word with you, alone?"

The Queen and doctor took several steps away before he solemnly looked at Elsa, "Your Majesty, I am sorry to tell you that the Princess has contracted the plague."

Elsa covered her mouth with her hands, "What? No!" She looked over at Anna's bedroom door, "Anna!" She ran towards the door, but as the doctor yelled out to stop her, Hans stepped in front of her and caught her in his arms. The doctor joined the group, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid that I can't let you go in there, right now. Princess Anna is in a highly contagious stage and also very fragile, if she should catch any germs from someone, it could be fatal."

Elsa felt weak in the knees and leaned into Hans, crying in his arms. Kristoff was alarmed at the word _fatal_, "Doctor, what's wrong with Anna?"

The doctor took of his glasses and rubbed his eyes tiredly, "Princess Anna has contracted the plague, but luckily we caught it in one of its earliest stages so there may be some hope for her."

Kristoff was clearly shaken, "Doctor, may I go in to see her? I've been around Anna all day, which means that I have already been exposed to the bug, so she could do no more harm to me than what's already happened."

The doctor thought about it, "Yes, I suppose you make a good point. But please," He handed him a sanitary mask, "Wear this, so that you will not get sick and that you may also be a part of the outside world without the fear of spreading the disease." He looked at the Queen, "Your Majesty, I would advise that you also avoid contact with Kristoff to be certain that you will not catch anything at all, not even a sniffle."

Elsa faced the doctor and nodded, still holding onto Hans for support. Kristoff thoughtfully looked at the Queen, "Elsa? I promise that I will do everything in my power to keep Anna strong and fighting, I almost lost her before and I'm not going to lose her again." With that, he put on the mask and stepped into the quarantined room, closing the door determinedly behind himself.

Hans looked down at Elsa, "Excuse me , Your Majesty, but you're kind of freezing my uniform."

She quickly let go of him and sagged her head in defeat, "I'm sorry." Then she shuffled away to her bedroom.

* * *

Kristoff stood by the door and looked over at his sleeping love, making note of how pale her skin looked and how her breathing seemed uneven and forced. He grabbed a chair and positioned it right beside her nightstand. He grabbed one of her hands and gently stroked his thumb along the top of it, which stirred a reaction from her, "Kristoff? What happened? And why are you wearing that mask?"

He let out a deep sigh, "Anna, you're kind of sick right now, so I don't want to give you any extra reindeer germs of mine."

Anna started laughing, which turned into a coughing spell, "Reindeer germs? How old do you think I am?"

Kristoff began softly stroking her hair, "Young enough...you're only eighteen years old, stop trying to grow up so fast."

Anna smiled as she suppressed a yawn, "Where's Elsa?"

Kristoff tried to think of a legitimate excuse, "Well…she…uh…" Luckily for him, Anna already fell back asleep and was lightly snoring peacefully. Kristoff took off the mask, lifted up her hand, and tenderly kissed the top of it, "Don't worry, Anna, everything will be okay, I promise."


	17. Chapter 17

******************************Hey Everyone! This chapter is kind of long but trust me, it's worth reading! Thank you all for the reviews, I really do appreciate them! Please review and Enjoy! :)**

******************************Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**

**Chapter 17: The Plague (II)**

A week has passed since Anna caught the plague and Elsa couldn't stand being separated from her sister for much longer, _what's wrong with me? I should be used to this but for some reason I can't sleep, I can't eat, and I can't even focus on my work anymore. _Elsa was sitting in her study with a bunch of paperwork slowly piling up around her. _It's hard to just sit on the sidelines and hope for the best, I feel like I need to do something to help, but for once in my life, I am powerless._

There was a knocking on the door, and as Hans, who was standing by the door, reached to open it, a masculine voice called out through the door, "It's Kristoff, but please, don't open the door! I just came from Anna's room, but I do have news for the Queen regarding her sister."

Elsa stood up and ran over to the door, "What do you know about my sister? How is she?"

Kristoff briefly coughed, "I have good and bad news."

Elsa leaned closer to the door, "Give me the bad news first."

Kristoff cleared his throat, "Well, her health has not improved at all-

Elsa started to wring her hands, "And the good news?"

"She hasn't gotten worse…her health actually hasn't changed at all."

Elsa furrowed her brows, "What does that mean? What does the doctor have to say?"

Kristoff coughed again, "He's looking into it at the moment; he said he has never seen anything like this before."

Elsa took in a deep breath, "Thank you, Kristoff. Please let me know when you receive more news." When Kristoff didn't answer, the Queen began to worry, "Kristoff? Are you still there? Are you okay?"

She heard whispering on the other side of the door, but she couldn't understand what was being said. Elsa looked at Hans, who only shrugged and looked as lost as she did. She was about to knock on the door again, but all of a sudden they heard Kristoff shout, "Are you serious?!"

Elsa started panicking, "Kristoff, what happened?! What's wrong?!"

A tired voice now spoke through the door, "Your Majesty? May I talk to you face to face?"

Elsa threw open the door, to find only the doctor, looking tired and ragged, "Your Majesty…" He bowed and then cracked a small smile, "I have some very good news for you."

Elsa waved the doctor into her study and gave one last look down the hallway, not knowing where Kristoff ran off to, "What news do you bring regarding my sister?"

Hans closed the door and offered the doctor some water to drink, which he gratefully accepted, "Thank you." He looked back at the Queen, "Queen Elsa, your sister will survive this plague-"

Elsa's body sagged with relief as she collapsed onto the sofa across from the doctor, "Oh thank goodness! What changed doctor? The last Kristoff told me was that her condition hasn't changed."

The doctor nodded, "Yes, which is true. But I have been running tests and looking into this strange phenomenon, for quite some time now, and I've come to a miraculous discovery."

Elsa sat up and leaned intently towards the doctor, "What is it?"

The doctor couldn't meet Elsa's eyes, "You recall the time you accidently froze Anna's heart?" Elsa solemnly nodded her head, but remained quiet as the doctor continued, "Although her heart is no longer frozen, her body's internal temperature is colder than the average human temperature, similarly like yours. Because of that, the bacterial infection couldn't adapt to her cold body temperature and has, therefore, hit a suicide chain and is slowly dying. This means that although Anna may still need plenty of bed rest and medical attention, she will survive."

Elsa happily clasped her hands together, "That is some wonderful news, doctor. I thank you for your hard-work and dedication."

The doctor politely bowed his head, "It is my pleasure, Your Majesty. But that's not even the best news."

The Queen raised her eyebrows in curiosity, "What's better than that?"

The doctor couldn't stop smiling, "Since the disease is dying, Anna is no longer contagious and being that you also have an unnaturally low body temperature, your body is immune to this plague…With that being said, you can go see your sister right now."

Elsa's entire face light up and she couldn't help but wear a silly grin on her face, as she quickly stood up and ran towards Anna's bedroom, calling out over her shoulder, "Thank you doctor!" _I can't believe it! For once, my ice powers actually did some good for Anna, instead of hurting her! Maybe we can find a way to make my powers help fend off other diseases and save people's lives. Maybe this is the reason I was born with these powers, to help cure illnesses! Okay, Elsa, don't get ahead of yourself here, I do not want to set myself up for disappointment. _As Elsa approached Anna's door she stopped running and quietly knocked on Anna's door, in case she was sleeping, "Anna?"

She heard Anna's voice faintly through that door, "Come in, Elsa."

Elsa cautiously opened the door, not knowing what to expect since she had not seen her sister in about a week since contracting the plague. But to her surprise, Anna was sitting up in bed with a book on her lap, looking like her old self, perhaps a bit thinner than usual, but she knew that Anna would easily fix that because of her serious appetite. Kristoff was also there, sitting by Anna's nightstand looking pretty tired and ragged, himself, but he also looked relieved.

Elsa was almost in tears upon seeing her sister again, and knowing that everything would be fine, "How are you feeling, Anna?"

Anna smiled and shrugged, "Eh…I can't complain. I'm not dying anymore, so that's a huge relief!" She dramatically threw one arm upon her forehead, "I feel as if a great load as being _lifted_ off my shoulders!"

Elsa laughed and rolled her eyes, "You were always such a drama queen."

Anna giggled, "Admit it, Elsa, that's one of the things you love about me."

Elsa nodded, "That is true." Elsa sat on the edge of Anna's bed, "So what has Kristoff told you so far?"

Anna narrowed her eyes at Kristoff, "Not much, other than the fact that I'm not dying. But he won't tell me what happened!"

Kristoff looked at the Queen, "I thought that it would be best if you told her, since you know…"

Elsa nodded, "Yes, thank you." Elsa looked directly into Anna's eyes, "Anna, when I froze your heart a while back, it seems that although your heart has obviously thawed, the coldness of the ice has remained in your body. With that being said, your unnaturally cold body temperature has made you immune to the illness, and therefore, the disease has died off."

Anna remained silent for a few minutes, soaking up all the information that was just said. Elsa and Kristoff questioningly looked at each, before Anna spoke up, "Elsa? Do you know what all of this means?"

Elsa warily shook her head, but stayed silent. Anna grinned from ear to ear, "In some strange way…you almost killing me, by accident of course, ultimately saved me! Elsa, your ice powers are miraculous!" Anna flung herself at her sister, and squeezed the air out of her lungs in an enormous bear hug, "I always believed that everything had its reason for happening…you could do some amazing things with this! Perhaps, now, you can heal all other diseases in the world! Oh my gosh! You'd be a hero! You'd be legendary! They might even write a book about you someday!" Anna theatrically held out her hands, "Image this: 'Queen Elsa-Ice Healer'! Or, 'The Miraculous Ice Queen'! Or maybe something more generalized like, 'The Snow Queen'! Oh! I like that one! Sounds mysterious, yet intriguing, I would definitely read that!"

Elsa and Kristoff couldn't help but laugh at Anna's over-the-top performance. Elsa lovingly looked at her sister, _yup! I think everything is going to be just fine! _All of a sudden, Kristoff started coughing harshly. Anna gave him a handkerchief and caringly put a hand on his shoulder, "Kristoff? Are you okay?"

Elsa turned towards the doorway, calling Hans, who was standing near the entrance, "Go fetch the doctor, _immediately_!"

As Hans ran off to get the doctor, Kristoff started breaking out into a sweat and began shivering a great deal. Then, the unimaginable happened, Kristoff removed the handkerchief and his wide eyes flooded with fear, "Uh-oh."

Anna and Elsa both spoke at the same time, "What is it?!"

As Kristoff slowly showed the sisters the handkerchief, they both gasped when they saw that it was covered with spots of blood. Anna's eyes welled up with tears, "Kristoff?"

* * *

Anna, Elsa, and Hans silently waited outside the ice harvester's bedroom. The doctor was adamant that Anna stay in bed, but she insisted on coming anyways. _If I'm not going to die, then what's the point of prolonging my bed rest? Anyways, he should be more worried about Kristoff than me; he was never struck by Elsa's magic and is, therefore, very exposed to this disease. _Anna took in a deep breath and looked upward; _please don't take him away from me just yet. Please…not yet, not now?!_

The doctor came out of the room, gently closed the door behind him, and sighed, "Well, it seems that Kristoff has also come down with the plague. It looks that even though I specifically told him to wear a mask at _all _times when around the Princess, he failed to follow my directions. Unfortunately, he has passed the first stage already and is well into the second phase. And I'm presuming that he was not struck by any ice magic?"

Elsa solemnly shook her head, "No."

The doctor nodded, "I see…" He looked at Anna, "Your Highness, I'm sorry to tell you this but…Kristoff will most likely not make it."

Anna leaned against the wall, slide down onto the floor, and burst into tears. Elsa sat beside her sister and put her arms comfortingly around her, "Doctor, there has to be _something _that can save him."

Hans cautiously spoke up, "Doctor, please. Is there any way that Queen Elsa can use her powers to improve his chances of survival?"

The doctor shook his head, "I'm afraid not, although…"

The hallway suddenly became very quiet, with the exception of Anna's sniffling, "There may be a very _slight _chance for him to pull through, being that you get him the right kind of medicine."

Elsa stood up, "What kind of _medicine_ do you speak of?"

The doctor ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "It would be magic, Your Majesty. I have a friend who supposedly found this magical remedy that could cure most diseases, and I'm pretty sure this plague was one of them."

Hans stepped forward, "Who is he? Where does he live?" The Queen cleared her throat, signaling Hans to step down, "Sorry, Your Majesty."

Elsa evenly looked the doctor in the eye, "What's the drawback?"

The doctor looked surprised, "Drawback?"

The Queen continued her intense gaze, "Yes, there must be a drawback because when Ana fell ill, you never brought up this alternate option. So you must think that it's a pretty big risk."

The doctor nodded, "Yes, my Queen. My friend lives in a far off kingdom, which has been struggling for quite some time now. I do not know what this remedy consists of exactly, but I do know that it could be a very dangerous trip due to the seasonal storms approaching, among other things."

Elsa frowned, "What 'other things'?"

The doctor sighed, "The Kingdom of Sperca had fallen due to the death of their King and Queen long ago, and afterwards the citizens lived in a land of democracy. But now, a new King and Queen have recently emerged and have taken the kingdom back into a monarch rule. I have received word that the people are not happy with what is happening, and they are bent to destroy the monarch system."

Anna spoke up, "How does this affect us exactly?"

The doctor puzzlingly looked back and forth between the two sisters, "Because only those born with the powers of the unknown can actually find the main ingredient to this remedy, which means, only Queen Elsa can make this journey. But being that she is a royal monarch-"

Elsa thought out loud, "I will most likely by killed before even finding your friend or the secret ingredient."

The doctor nodded, "I'm sorry, but if you'll excuse me, I need to get some medical supplies from my office and prepare myself for a long night with Kristoff."

The Queen acknowledged his request and he took off. The group of three was silent, thinking to themselves about what just happened. Anna stood up straight, "I'll go!"

Elsa and Hans both wore shocked expressions on their faces, but Elsa was the one to respond, "What? Anna, no, it's too dangerous. You're still recovering, and besides, you heard the doctor, only 'those born with the powers of the unknown' can find the ingredient. Also, you're a royal monarch, which means that the people would be after you too."

Anna started to wring her hands, "I know…but Elsa? I can't just let him die! We have to do something!"

Elsa was starting to get frustrated, "Anna, there's nothing we _can _do."

Anna evenly looked at her sister, "I refuse to believe that…"

Now Elsa was exasperated, "Anna, what do you want me to do? Go on this incredibly dangerous journey, risk being killed, and leaving Arendelle without a queen? All for this 'magic' ingredient that we don't even know will work?"

Anna dejectedly looked down, "No."

There was a thick tension that sat in the hallway for a few minutes before Anna quietly spoke, "Elsa? I'm sorry. I just feel so desperate and helpless, right now. I don't want you to go and do that, because you're right, it's too much of a risk for something that has very little chance of working." She sighed, "Goodnight, Elsa."

As Elsa saw her sister shuffle her slippers down the hallway and silently wipe a tear from her eye, she felt something tugging at her heart. _No, I can't do this. I can't go off and get killed because then Kristoff will surely die, then Anna will have nobody left. I can't do that to her…But why am I feeling so guilty about this? _

Elsa walked Hans back to his chambers, where she would lock him in every night to ensure that no shenanigans would occur when she was asleep. Elsa tiredly looked at Hans, "You're excused for the rest of the evening."

Hans respectively bowed, "Yes, Your Majesty."

* * *

Elsa gasped as she woke up, around two in the morning, breathing very hard, very fast, as ice was starting to form around her bedroom. She quickly jumped out of bed, threw on her most conservative robe and ran down the hallway. She swung open the door to the doctor's office to find him reading a book, "Doctor…" She stepped inside and closed the door behind her, "…Who's your friend?"

* * *

Elsa stormed into her study and scrambled for some paper, there she wrote a note to her sister:

_My Dearest Anna, _

_ I want you to know that I love you very much. I've been thinking, ever since you risked your own life to save me, I needed to do something that great of risk in order to show you how much I would do to ensure your happiness. Kristoff is a good man; he's kind, compassionate, and treats you very well. I know that Kristoff is the one for you, he's your true love, and I couldn't live with myself seeing him die and you miserable for the rest of your life. You were right when you said that everything happens for a reason, and it wasn't just some strange coincidence that I had to be the one to find this magic ingredient. You, yourself, said that I may be the one to find a cure to save the world of diseases, and once again, you were right. This is what I was destined to do. This is why my powers were bestowed upon me. I am going to Sperca and I am going to find that magic ingredient and I am going to return home with the remedy to save Kristoff. _

_Anna, while I'm away, you are the acting ruler of Arendelle. I have the upmost faith in your abilities to protect and care for our people. Keep an eye on Hans for me while I'm gone, I don't think he will try anything but then again, I still don't trust him. I know that right now, you feel responsible because you'll think that you made me feel guilty and that's what persuaded me to go, but just so you know, this decision I made entirely on my own._

_I love you so much, Anna, and if anything should happen to me…Long live Queen Anna._

_All my love, Elsa._

Elsa tucked the letter away in an envelope, along with the room key to Hans's bedroom, and quietly snuck into her sister's bedroom. She placed the envelope onto Anna's nightstand and looked at her beautiful baby sister. Elsa gently brushed Anna's hair away from her face and kissed her lightly on her forehead, "I love you Anna." She quietly closed the door, hurried back to her room, and prepared herself for what was to come. _This time, it's my turn to sacrifice myself for you, Anna._


	18. Chapter 18

******************Hey Guys! Hope everyone is doing well! Thank you for the kind reviews and please enjoy the next chapter! (Oh, and also please keep reviewing...thanks!)**

******************Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**  


**Chapter 18: An Unexpected Journey**

It was only three in the morning when there was a knock on Elsa's door, "Your Majesty, its Gerda. I brought the clothes you requested." Elsa had called for Gerda earlier to come to her bedroom so she could help the Queen find some appropriate non-royal clothing to help her blend in with the towns people of Sperca.

Elsa quietly opened the door and ushered her servant in, "Thank you, Gerda, come in." The queen softly closed the door behind her, "Did you find anything?"

Gerda placed the clothes delicately on her bed as if it were her coronation dress, "Yes, Your Majesty. I have for you here a simple dark blue dress with an even simpler black bodice, no embroidery or design. I also found a casual light brown coat for you to wear during the cold evenings, even though I know you don't need a coat to keep warm, I figured that you would stand out too much if you were to _not _wear one."

Elsa smiled kindly to her friend, "Yes that is very clever of you, Gerda. Thank you."

Gerda bowed as Elsa picked up the dress and started to change, "Your Majesty?"

Elsa called over her shoulder, "Yes?"

Gerda cautiously questioned, "Are you sure you don't want someone to go with you?"

Elsa finished buttoning up the buttons that ran down the front of her dress, and turned thoughtfully to her friend, "No, I need to go and do this alone."

Gerda helped Elsa put on her bodice, "But, Your Majesty, what if something should happen to you?"

Elsa grabbed the coat off her bed, "I have written a letter to Anna explaining the situation and what to do if something should happen to me…" Elsa took off her crown and placed it on a pillow that rested by her nightstand. She looked at her servant, "Please take good care of her."

Gerda bowed, "Of course, Your Majesty."

Elsa gave her friend one last small smile, quietly opened her door, and silently made her way down the hall.

* * *

Hans woke up with a start and quickly jumped out of bed. _Something isn't right, something's happening. _He jiggled the door handle but it wouldn't budge, _Shoot! I keep forgetting that Elsa locks me in at night…I feel like such a child. _Before he started knocking, he decided it would be best to change into some decent clothing in case someone important should open the door. Once he finished changing, he started quietly tapping on the door, not wanting to make a commotion, "Hello? Is there anyone out there? A guard, perhaps?" No response, so he started knocking a little louder, "Hello? Kai? Anyone?" He started feeling silly, _nobody is out there…I'm just wasting my time-_

He heard the sound of someone coming down the hallway, "Excuse me? Hello! Can you get the Queen for me? I think there may be something wrong-"

He heard the lock being played with and then the door slowly creaked open. Hans's eyes widened and his jaw dropped, "Queen Elsa? Is that you?"

Elsa shushed Hans as she stepped into his room and quietly shut the door, "Could you possibly be any louder? I could hear you all the way down the hall!"

Although she was whispering, Hans took tell that Elsa was ticked. But he couldn't help but stare at the peculiar outfit that she was wearing, "Why are you wearing that?" He noticed that she was also not wearing her crown, then it clicked, "You're going to Sperca, aren't you? You're going to go try to find the magic ingredient to save Kristoff!"

Elsa shushed him again, "Yes! But nobody knows except the doctor, Kai, and Gerda…and well now you. But could you please keep quiet! I want to leave before Anna wakes up."

Hans smiled, "Sure." He turned and walked towards his wardrobe, "I won't say anything."

Elsa was surprised, "Really?"

Hans pulled out a similar light brown coat and stood before Elsa, "Yup, because I'm going with you."

Elsa furrowed her brows, "No, I don't think so." She turned to leave but Hans stepped between her and the door, "Move Hans, I don't want to do anything I'll regret later." _Although if I froze him here, there would be no chance of him causing any trouble when I'm gone…_

Hans smirked, "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I'm coming with you…Unless you want me to start causing a scene that will most certainly wake the entire castle?"

Elsa hissed, "Are you threatening me?"

Hans defensively raised his hands, "No, I'm just trying to protect you."

Elsa narrowed her eyes, "I can protect myself, thank you. Now step aside."

Hans stepped aside and opened the door for Elsa. As she was about to step out the door, Hans quipped, "If I recall correctly, _I _was the one who saved your life, long ago, back at the ice castle. So, although you _may _be able to protect yourself, you still need an extra set of eyes watching your back."

Elsa stopped and without looking back at him, she sighed, "Fine." She turned towards him, her eyes cold and dark, "But you will listen and do everything I tell you to do. The last thing I wanted is extra baggage so you better keep up with me at _all _times. Returning home safely to Anna is more important to me than you are to me, so if you fall behind…you will get left behind. Got it?" Hans nodded and Elsa wrote a quick note explaining that Hans was going with her as backup and left it on his bed. Then she and her new accomplice tip-toed down the halls, through the courtyard, and out of the castle gates.

The two remained silent as they reached the docks; there Elsa had Kai deal with finding them passage to Sperca via trade ship. Elsa muttered to Hans, "I had to find a more humble way of transportation-"

Hans methodically crossed his arms, "I understand…your usual ship would have been way too obvious. And a normal passenger ship with only two passengers aboard would also be conspicuous."

Elsa raised her eyebrows and looked at Hans, impressed by his quick critical thinking, "Yes…that's correct."

He sensed her surprise and looked down, "Hey, don't act so shocked. I think you forget, sometimes, that I used to be an intelligent and clever prince-"

Elsa started to walk away, "Yeah, don't get ahead of yourself, I didn't mean to inflate your ego."

Hans let out a low whistle, "You wound me, Queen Elsa."

Elsa stopped short of stepping onto the gang plank and took in a deep breath,

"_Do you have to go?"_

"_You'll be fine, Elsa."_

Hans walked up behind Elsa and put a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Is everything okay?"

_No… _Elsa cleared her throat, "Yes…it's just been a while since I've been on a ship." _And by a while I mean never. _She shrugged his hand off her shoulder and made her way up the gang plank, there the crew and their captain were all lined up for the Queen's voyage.

The captain stepped forward, took off his hat, and respectively bowed, "Your Majesty, it is an honor to transport you to the Kingdom of Sperca. As our royal guest, I would like to offer you the captain's quarters as your room during your three-day voyage with us."

Elsa warmly smiled, "Thank you Captain, I gratefully accept your chivalrous hospitality."

The captain outstretched his arm, "Right this way, Queen Elsa."

As Elsa and Hans approached a door at the stern, the captain opened up the door for them, "It's not much, rather humble I'd say, but it's far better than the sleeping quarters for the rest of the crew. At least you have privacy here, my Queen."

Elsa graciously bowed her head, "Thank you, it's perfect."

The captain bowed one last time, "Only the best for my Queen. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a ship and a crew to attend to."

Once the captain left, Elsa and Hans stepped into the room and closed the door. Elsa placed her coat on the bed while Hans hung his up on a hook by the door. Neither of them said anything but they knew what the other was thinking. _There's only one bed._

Hans cleared his throat, "I will sleep below deck, with the rest of the crew-"

Elsa sat on the bed, her posture stiff as a board, "No, you will remain under my supervision at _all _times."

Hans suspiciously eyed the Queen, "Then where will I sleep?"

Elsa threw Hans a smug smile, "The floor seems comfortable, and you can tell me what you think in the morning. Now…" She looked around the room; from the door the bed was placed in the left hand corner of the room and in the right corner was a large desk, along the entire back of the room as a huge window that held an amazing view of the ocean. Elsa strode across the room and opened up the closet that was directly to the right of the door, "Wonderful…" She pulled out a stack of blankets and handed them to Hans, "Here you go, make yourself comfortable."

Hans sarcastically laughed, "I don't think I'll need all of these blankets."

Elsa guided Hans towards the corner farthest away from her bed, "Sure you will, stand right there…" She waved her hands and with just a quick flick of her wrist, Elsa created an icy cell around Hans, making sure he stayed in one place while she slept. Satisfied, she crossed her arms and admired her work, "See? I told you the blankets would come in handy." Elsa strode back to her side of the room, unmade the bed, and comfortably snuggled in her blankets, "Get some rest, Hans. You may find yourself helping the crew tomorrow, or technically later today, I suppose."

Hans looked at the clock, "It's already four in the morning…How much sleep can I possibly get?"

Elsa turned in her bed, facing away from Hans, "You'll get enough so that you won't be a burden to the crew or to me. Now, go to sleep Hans."

Hans narrowed his eyes at the Queen and huffed out an agitated breath. He set out the blankets and tried to form some sort of mattress, and once he was satisfied with his handiwork, he lay down and quietly whispered, "Goodnight…Elsa." As his eyes started to feel heavy, he could have sworn that he heard Elsa reply, "Goodnight, Hans." But he was pretty sure he just imagined it.


	19. Chapter 19

**********Hi Everyone! Thank you all for the kind reviews, I enjoy writing up new chapters for you guys. Please keep reviewing and for all you Helsa fans out there...this chapter is for you! Enjoy! :)**

**********Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**  


**Chapter 19: Journey to Sperca**

The waves rhythmically rocked the ship back and forth, but even at its most gentle, Elsa still feared the ocean almost as much as she feared hurting people with her magic. Elsa laid awake in her bed, thinking about what was to come; _what would happen if someone noticed that I was royal, or what if the doctor's friend can't help us, or what if I never find this magic ingredient, or what if I never made it back to Arendelle?_ She gulped, _I could end up facing the same watery fate my parents did…I could safely accomplish this assignment and still end up shipwrecked on the way back home, like my parents. Then Kristoff would die and Anna would be all alone… _She looked over at Hans who was still sound asleep, _if Hans had stayed back in Arendelle he could have, at least, been a shoulder for Anna to cry on. _Elsa sighed and got out of bed. She walked over to the large window across the back of the room and as she stared out at the ocean, the sun rose, casting a beautiful reflection off the crystal blue waters. _It looks so peaceful, so serene. How could something so captivating, be so dangerous at the same? _

At that moment, Hans woke up and yawned, "Good morning, Queen Elsa." He rubbed his eyes, "How long have you've been up?"

Elsa continued to stare out the window, "All morning…I never fell asleep."

Hans looked over at Elsa and noticed that, for once, she actually had her hair completely down. Her long silvery blonde locks captivated Hans as they held a gentle wave that ran all the way down to her waist. He stood up and stretched, "I like your hair; you should wear it down more often."

Elsa turned towards him with a look of surprise, "What?"

He casually leaned against his icy cell, "Your hair…I've never seen it down before. It's really pretty….makes you look younger, too."

Elsa raised an eyebrow, "I'm only 21, I _am _still young."

Hans only smirked, "Yeah but you act like you're much, much older. And sometimes it shows on your face. You seem…tired a lot."

Elsa looked back at the ocean, "I don't get much sleep anymore." She waved her hands and in no time Hans's cell evaporated.

Hans walked over to Elsa and stood behind her, watching the ocean waves gently rock the boat. They remained like that for a few moments, until Hans broke the silence, "I meant it as a compliment you know."

Elsa continued to stare out the window, "Hmm?"

Hans looked down at her hair and resisted the urge to run his hands through the silky looking locks, "What I said about your hair, it's really beautiful. I don't understand why you always have it in a bun."

Elsa didn't even glance at Hans, "I don't _always _have it in a bun…I braid it once in a while."

Hans smirked, "Yeah, you've only done it once and it's been a while since then, too."

Elsa stepped away from the window and started putting her hair up, "Being a queen requires me to look professional and presentable at all times. Tell me, Hans, when your mother was queen, was her hair ever down?"

Hans thought for a moment, "No, not really-"

Elsa clipped her hair in place and faced Hans, "Exactly, my point."

Hans took a step closer to her, "But, I do recall a few holidays, here and there, that she wore her hair down. Also, she was much older than you."

Elsa placed one hand on her hip and took a step closer, "How does that have anything to do with my hair?"

Hans crossed his arms and took another step, "Well she was already married so she didn't have to try and look nice for other possible suitors-"

Elsa furrowed her brow and stepped closer, "Who said I was looking for potential suitors?"

Hans was exasperated and took another step, "No one, I just thought that you'd…"

Elsa prodded him further and stepped closer, "What? That I'd what?"

Hans threw his hands up and took one final step, "That you would want to get married someday!"

Elsa's eyebrows shot up, she was completely stunned that Hans was concerned about her future in _that _way. Their faces were only inches apart, as her wide eyes searched Hans's face for any sign of mischief, but she found none. She remained silent for a few minutes, as she thought about what Hans had said. Finally, she looked him in the eye and thoughtfully responded, "I am one of the very few Queens who have the responsibility of running their kingdom alone. I am young, I am single, and I do not have the time to search for a man to rule beside me, nor do I have the choice to pick any man I'd like. I must leave myself open to marry for foreign alliances, not love."

Elsa turned and walked towards the door, as Hans quipped, "But what about Princess Anna?"

Elsa opened the door and turned towards Hans with a hard look, "Anna has been through enough heart-ache, so I'm pardoning her from the responsibility of arranged marriages, if she chooses Kristoff to be her husband, then so be it, I will bless the marriage." Elsa added in an icier tone, "He has earned my trust." Then she walked out onto the deck, with Hans reluctantly behind her.

* * *

The Arendelle sun shone through the castle windows and upon Anna's face, causing her to stir out of her deep slumber. Although the sun was shining, Anna's heart and soul were gloomy, hurting for her Kristoff. She ran her hands through her wild bed head and tiredly rubbed her eyes. She looked over at her nightstand and noticed an envelope sitting on top of it with her name written on it in Elsa's hand writing. "Hello…what's this?" She sliced open the envelope and took out the letter, _My Dearest Anna… _Anna continued to read the letter, feeling a greater knot form in her stomach. When she finished, she grabbed Hans's bedroom key and sprinted towards his bedroom. Once there she banged on the door, "Hans! Hans, it's me, Anna! Are you awake?" She heard nothing, "I'm coming in…I hope you're decent!" She unlocked his door and threw it wide open, "Hans?" She took several steps inside, "Hans?" Anna noticed another letter sitting on his bed, "Another note?"

_Anna, _

_I have decided to take Hans along with me to Sperca. He volunteered and persuaded that I could use some back up. I'll make sure to keep a close eye on him. Take care, I love you._

_Elsa_

Anna dropped the note and sat down on Hans's bed, "Oh no! What have I done?"

There was a knocked on the door. Anna looked up and saw Kai standing by the doorway, "Your Majesty? Is everything alright?"

Anna showed him both notes, "Elsa's gone and it's all my fault!" She buried her face in her hands.

Kai read the notes, "Princess Anna, don't worry, Queen Elsa is simply running an errand for Kristoff. I'm sure everything will be fine."

Anna looked up with tears in her eyes, "She's not just running an errand…she's risking her life! The people of Sperca are in the midst of an uprising against their monarchy, and if they find out Elsa is a royal, they'll kill her!"

Kai's face shown expressions of surprise and concern, "Oh dear…she never mentioned that to me." Kai sat down next to Anna and gently put a hand on her shoulder, "There, there, Your Majesty. I'm certain that the Queen can handle herself, and besides she has Hans with her."

Anna put her face in her hands, "If that's supposed to help…well, it doesn't"

Kai raised his eyebrows, "Princess Anna, are you aware that Hans actually saved Elsa's life?"

Anna snapped her head back up, "Wait, what?"

Kai nodded, "It's true. When you went missing during the eternal winter, the Duke of Weaslton had volunteered two of his men to help with the search party with intentions of killing your sister. Although she handled them pretty well, one of the men had a clear shot of her, while her back was turned, and just as he was about to take the shot, Hans interfered and pushed his crossbow upward, missing your sister and saving her life." _Anna doesn't need to know what happened with the chandelier…that could wait for another time._

Anna's eyes widened, "Really? Wow…I always hoped that some of the old Hans was still left in him, but I never knew about any of this!" Anna stood up with a new sense of confidence, "If Elsa and Hans continue to watch out for each other, I _know_ that they will make it back safely. Thank you, Kai." Anna bear hugged him and confidently strode out the door, "Now I just need to make sure Kristoff's health doesn't get any worse."

* * *

It was the afternoon of day two on the ship to Sperca and things have been most uneventful. Elsa required that Hans help the crew in any way possible, and to her surprise, he actually did a great job. They haven't had a full length conversation since their little argument the day before, but honestly Elsa didn't mind it, she liked having time to think to herself as she watch the ocean waves glisten among the horizon. The sun was unseasonably hot for this time of year, but Elsa continued wearing her simple long sleeve gowns, unlike the rest of the crew who preferred to go shirtless. At first they were uncomfortable about the idea but Elsa reassured them that it was no problem; she didn't want anyone developing heat stroke over her presence. As Elsa glanced around the deck she noticed a crew member walking by with a large barrel over his shoulder, blocking her view of his head and covering his face. She couldn't help but watch him as he headed across the deck; every one of his back muscles were engaged, his strong broad shoulders glistened with sweat, and Elsa couldn't help but notice his buttocks was rather firm and shapely. The man stopped and bent down to lower the barrel, making Elsa involuntarily tilt her head for a better view. When the man straightened himself back up and turned around, Elsa snapped her straight and quickly turned towards the ocean. _Oh my goodness! That was Hans! What am I doing, staring at him in such a manner? I blame Anna, she's always telling me to loosen up and embrace the beauty around me. Well, look where that got me. I enjoy myself for just one minute then-"_

A masculine voice came from behind her, "Queen Elsa?"

Elsa jumped as she turned around, her eyes wide, "Hans! What are you doing?"

Hans held up his hands defensively, "Sorry to startle you, I was just wondering if you were feeling okay?"

Elsa cleared her throat, "I-I'm fine…why do you ask?"

Hans's eyes held a look of concern for her, "I thought you said that the weather doesn't affect you."

Elsa fidgeted with her hands, "It doesn't."

Hans cautiously looked her up and down, "Well you're looking rather pale, your face is flushed, and your cheeks are red."

Elsa looked down, "Yeah, no…I-I'm fine." She looked up at him and smiled, "But thanks for your concern."

She started walking back towards her room when Hans called after her, "You would tell me if something was wrong, right?"

Elsa turned around, making the mistake of giving him a quick up-and-down glance, noticing that his front was just as toned as his back, "Yeah, okay…I mean, yes of course!" Then she walked into her room and quickly shut the door. She leaned back against the door and slide down onto the floor, "Yeesh! That's the first _and _last time I let myself enjoy the view around me." Elsa couldn't help but smile, "Ha. Yeah, thanks a lot, Anna."


	20. Chapter 20

******Hey Guys! I've been having a pretty busy weekend but I really wanted to get out another chapter, so I made time! Thank you for the reviews, please keep reviewing and enjoy! :)**

******Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**  


**Chapter 20: Welcome to Sperca**

It was the late afternoon/early evening on the third day since Elsa and Hans departed Arendelle on their journey to Sperca. Anna was sitting beside Kristoff's bed, mindlessly playing with her braids, waiting for him to wake up. Every time Anna had been in his room he was either sleeping, or having some sort of cough attack. She hadn't been able to tell him about Elsa and Hans's quest to retrieve an antidote, and she also just missed talking to him. Finally he started to stir and Anna perked up, "Kristoff?"

He slowly opened his eyes and smiled when he saw Anna's face, "Hey you…I haven't seen you in a while."

Anna jokingly rolled her eyes, "I've been in here a lot the past three days, but you're always asleep. How are you feeling?"

Kristoff took in a deep breath, "I've been better, so far this day hasn't been that bad. Every day, I feel like it's a struggle just to breathe and…well, you know what I mean since you were also sick. But, I'm happy that you're here though."

Anna grabbed his hand, "Kristoff…I have some good news."

Kristoff raised his eyebrows, "I'm not dying?"

Anna squeezed his hand, "Don't talk like that, it's very unsettling…"

Kristoff lifted her hand and planted a gently kiss, "I'm sorry Anna…but we both know that I don't have any ice magic in me that can cure this plague. So it is inevitable that…"

Anna stood up and gestured her hands wildly, "You're not going to die! There is a cure out there! And Elsa and Hans left three days ago to go find it!"

Kristoff's eyes opened wide, "Wait, what?"

Anna sat back down, "The doctor told us he has a friend that claims to have found an antidote to most diseases, but the antidote needs a special ingredient that can only be found by those born with the powers of the unknown, which means only Elsa can find it. So she and Hans left three days ago to go find it-"

Kristoff put his hands up, "Woah, woah, woah…slow down. _Hans_ went with her? How did that happen?"

Anna shrugged, "I don't know, Elsa wrote in the note that he volunteered and somehow persuaded her to let him tag along."

Kristoff gave her a questionable look, "Doesn't that sound a little suspicious to you?"

Anna shook her head, "Nope! Well, yeah okay maybe at first it did, but Kai told me that Hans actually saved Elsa's life back at her ice palace during the eternal winter."

Kristoff furrowed his brows, "Back when he was trying to gain her trust and before he attempted to kill her?"

Anna started to wring her hands, "Yeah, well…Elsa can take care of herself."

Kristoff raised an eyebrow, "Can she? He almost succeeded the last time, and you're not there to stop him now."

Anna silently thought for a few seconds, "She'll be okay…Hans fears Elsa; he admitted that to me a while ago."

"I don't know Anna…why else would he volunteer to go with her?"

"Well, why did you volunteer to take me up the North Mountain?"

Kristoff smirked, "You bribed me and owed me a new sled." Anna crossed her arms and gave him an unimpressed look. Kristoff laughed and took hold of her hand, "I'm kidding, well sort of, but the reason I _continued_ to help you and came back for you was because I cared about you. I loved you, Anna, and I still do."

Anna smiled and softly kissed his forehead, "I do too. And maybe that's the reason for Hans wanting to go with Elsa. Maybe he cares about her; they do share a common bond, despite their rough history. I think he'll watch over Elsa and take care of her."

Kristoff smiled and closed his eyes, "Where did you say they were headed?"

Anna stood up, "Sperca."

Kristoff's eyes popped open, "Wait! Did you say Sperca?!"

Anna shrugged, "Yeah, why?"

Kristoff looked at her with a concerned expression, "Isn't that kingdom ruled by one of Hans's brothers?"

Anna's faced paled, "Ohhhhhh noooo…Hans _hates _his brothers! Do you think that's the reason he volunteered to go with Elsa, to somehow get his revenge on his brother?" Anna gasped, "Oh my goodness! That's where Annaliese is! Maybe that has something to do with it, too!"

Kristoff's eyelids started to feel heavy, "Well, let's hope that Elsa keeps Hans on a short leash."

* * *

The sun was getting ready to set on the third day of Hans and Elsa's journey. The Captain informed Elsa that they would arrive at Sperca by midnight, which was fine with her. That way she wouldn't have to worry about being noticed as a royal by the townspeople since they should all be asleep. Elsa stayed in her room for most of the third day, in order to avoid the Hans fiasco she went through the day before. But being that the sun was about to set and the temperature was no longer hot, she was sure that everyone was wearing their shirts now, so she decided to take a stroll on the deck. When she stepped out of her room, most of the crew was absent, _oh of course! It must be dinner time…that makes sense. _But to her surprise, she noticed one man standing by the ship's railing with his hands clasped behind his back, attentively staring out at the horizon. Elsa recognized his unique sideburns that can only belong to one man, "Hans?"

Hans didn't even flinch, "Your Majesty."

She silently stood next to him and took in his appearance, he wore his usual black pants with his tall black boots, but what was different was the loose white shirt with the neckline cut low enough to expose a little of his broad chest. "Where did you get that shirt?"

A cool sea breeze tousled his hair, "A crew member gave it to me; he said it would help keep me cool during the day without having to take off my shirt."

"I see..." Elsa looked out at the horizon as the sun began to set. The extravagant red, orange, and purple streaks illuminated the sky for the briefest of seconds; Elsa smiled, _look…the sky's awake_. Before they knew it, the sun finished its stunning descent and soon the night's darkness engulfed them. Elsa and Hans remained silent for a few more minutes, before Elsa quietly spoke up, "That was beautiful."

Hans continued to stare out at the dark ocean, "Mhmm."

The Queen folded her hands in front of her, "The Captain said that we should arrive at Sperca by midnight."

Han took a deep breath, "Good."

Elsa looked up at him and tried to read his stoic expression, "Is there something wrong?"

Hans didn't answer her right away; he just stood there, starring out into the darkness. Finally he spoke up, "You promised me, a while back, that you would never tell my family about your decision to spare my life…did you?"

Elsa raised her eyebrows, "Did I tell them? No, why?"

Hans took a deep breath, "If you recall, my brother Kendrick is the King of Sperca…and as far as I know, he thinks I am dead." Hans turned to Elsa with a determined look in his eye, "And I would like to keep it that way."

Elsa wore her professional face, "I do not plan on meeting the King of Sperca…or the Queen for that matter."

Hans had a firm look on his face, "I just want to find this antidote and leave as soon as possible." He looked back at the water.

Elsa furrowed her brows, "Why did you come with me?"

Hans gave her a sideways glance, "Pardon?"

Elsa crossed her arms, leaned back against the railing, and faced Hans, "Well, you knew we were going to Sperca and it's pretty obvious that you don't like where we're headed so why did you volunteer to come with me then?"

Hans looked at her with concern, "To protect you…the people here may be dangerous, but no one is more dangerous than my brother. If he were to set his eyes on you…"

Elsa raised an eyebrow, "What?"

Hans sighed, "Let's just say he's not the most chivalrous prince out there."

Elsa's expression hardened, "I see…and what about Annaliese? She was probably heartbroken when she heard you were dead."

Hans was quiet for a few seconds, but then he cleared his throat, "My guess would be that she was rather complacent about my so-called death. She doesn't care for me, anymore."

Elsa looked down, "Do you still care for her though?"

Hans looked at Elsa with a mournful expression, "Through years and years of pushing my emotions down and away, I fear that I can no longer feel for others…My emotions are numb most of the time."

Elsa forlornly looked at her hands, "Conceal it, don't feel it…"

Hans absentmindedly finished, "Don't let it show…"

They both looked at each in surprise, but Hans spoke first, "How do you do it? After all these years of pushing away your emotions, you still manage to love and care for Anna."

Elsa look at the ocean, "I never pushed away my emotions; I just learned to control them."

Hans took a step closer to her, "But you and I both have so much baggage from our past, how can you just simply let it go?"

Elsa sighed and looked back at Hans, "Letting go doesn't mean that you don't care about someone anymore. It's just realizing that the only person you really have control over is yourself."

In that instant, something clicked inside Hans, something that he hadn't experienced in a long time…he felt emotion, again. In that moment, Hans was no longer the broken and forgotten exiled prince, nor the man who almost killed for ambition in the past. No, that man was gone, dead; in his place was a man who felt compassion for this beautiful, independent, and wise woman who stood before him. Elsa also felt something change in Hans, but she wasn't exactly sure what. She looked away and cleared her throat, "I'd better gather everything up in the room, it'll be midnight before we know it…" And with that she walked away.

* * *

As the Kingdom of Sperca came into view, the entire crew rushed around on deck fulfilling the orders that were being commanded by the captain. It was organized chaos, to say the least. Elsa and Hans stood side by side against the railing watching the men run around, while trying to stay out of their way. Elsa was wearing her simple dark blue dress with the even simpler black bodice and holding onto the coat Gerda gave her. Hans was wearing the same outfit he wore earlier that day, but he had on his brown coat. Hans looked the Queen up and down and noticed something wrong with her appearance…she still looked like a queen. He cleared his throat, "Your Majesty, are you planning on doing anything with your hair?"

She raised an eyebrow, "What's wrong with my hair?"

Hans sighed, "It's still in a bun…you know, the bun that makes a _queen _look professional and presentable at _all _times?"

Elsa understood what he was getting at, "So you think I should let my hair down?"

Hans smirked, "I think you should wear your hair differently than what you would usually do."

Elsa thought about it, "Fine…" She reached up and unclipped her bun, letting her hair gently fall to her waist. "Better?"

Hans smiled, "Much better…but-"

Elsa crossed her arms, "What now? "

He gestured towards her hair, "Your hair color…it's very unique and could attract a lot of attention, shouldn't you do something about it."

Elsa looked at the ends of her hair, "I can't change my hair color; it's this color because of my powers."

Hans raised his eyebrows, "Really?"

Elsa nodded, "Mhmm!"

He methodically rubbed his chin, "Interesting…then perhaps you should consider wearing a scarf of some sort over your head?"

Elsa pulled out a scarf that was hidden within her coat, "I'm way ahead of you."

He laughed and positioned himself behind her, "Forgive me for doing this but…" Hans started massaging her shoulders, "You need to fix that posture of yours. It's too straight and stiff, you need to loosen up a bit."

Elsa tensed up at first, but she eventually relaxed and closed her eyes; _hmm…that actually doesn't feel so bad. It's rather nice and stress-relieving…_She let out a quiet sigh, _wow…he is really good at this…I wonder if we were married he would massage my shoulders, like this, every night before bed… _That thought quickly woke her up and she took a few steps away from him, "Thank you, I think I'm good."

Hans slightly blushed, "Sorry, Your Majesty, I might have gotten a little carried away."

Elsa smirked, "You know…those sideburns of yours are also quite unique."

Hans looked at her suspiciously, "Yeah?"

Now Elsa was getting sassy, "Well, we wouldn't want someone to notice that you have the same genetically unique sideburns as their _king_."

Hans understood where this was going, "Aha, no."

Elsa made scissoring motions with her fingers, "We could just clip them a little bit-"

Hans took a step back, "No, I don't think so, sorry."

Elsa crossed her arms, "Fine…but you should definitely consider wearing a hat."

Hans pulled out a hat from his coat and mimicked Elsa's earlier remark, "I'm way ahead of you."

Both Elsa and Hans laughed, as the captain came up behind them, "Excuse me, Your Majesty, but we have arrived at the docks." Elsa and Hans looked at their surroundings and, sure enough, that had arrived at their destination. The captain smiled, held out his arm, and bowed, "Welcome to Sperca."


	21. Chapter 21

**********Hello Everyone! Thank you for the awesome reviews! Keep them coming please! I know I haven't updated in a few days, but look no further! Because here's another chapter! Yay! Please review and Enjoy! :)**

**********Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**  


**Chapter 21: The "Doctor"**

As Hans and Elsa walked down the gangplank, Elsa hid her hair under her scarf and Hans secured his hat over his sideburns. As they walked through the docks, they were shocked to see how many people were out and about at midnight. They looked at each with worried eyes and tried to act as inconspicuous as possible. By the time they reached town, they couldn't believe what they saw. Elsa's jaw dropped, "Oh my goodness…" Everywhere they looked there was disaster and ruin; buildings were crumbling, furniture was being thrown out of windows, wagons were lit on fire, random gunshots rang out, and people were drinking excessively.

Hans shrugged, "Huh. This is always how I imagined a kingdom ruled by Kendrick would look like."

Elsa picked up a flyer that read, _Down with Monarchy, Death to King Kendrick._ Elsa handed the flyer to Hans, "This is much worse than what I could ever imagine."

Hans read the flyer with a complacent look, then looked around, "These flyers are everywhere…this revolution is definitely not a joke."

Elsa and Hans ventured into the town, dodging the occasional drunk and flying pieces of furniture. Elsa carefully stepped over a man who was drunk to the point of unconsciousness, "What do you think the King is doing about all of this?"

Hans pushed his way through the crowd, "Well…knowing him…he will either try to fight or…if he knows he can't win…he'll just hide in his palace until things settle down."

Just then a wagon exploded near them, causing Hans to instinctively push Elsa against a wall and throw himself over her, acting as her human shield. As the drunks cheered, Hans cautiously stood up and when the coast was clear he offered his hand to help Elsa up, "Which, by the looks of things, this revolution is nowhere near settling down."

Elsa took his hand, "Thanks." She looked him over and noticed a small flame over his right shoulder, "Your coat's on fire, by the way."

Hans's eyes widened, "What?"

As he turned and saw the small flame, Elsa reached over, "Here…I got it."

With her icy touch she easily extinguished the flame, letting Hans exhale a relieved breath, "Thanks." He protectively put his arm around her shoulders and continued to lead her through the crowd, "Now let's find the doctor's friend…where did you say the place was?"

Elsa pointed, "There…it's that little shop over by the pub."

Hans let out a short laugh, "Ha. Of course it is."

They walked up to the shop, but there was no sign of anyone in there. Elsa looked through the windows, "No light…nothing going on in the fireplace…no movement whatsoever. Maybe we should come back in the morning?"

Hans reached for the doorknob, "Technically, it is morning…" He jiggled the door open, "Besides we have nowhere else to stay."

Elsa skeptically looked at him, "Are you sure that's a good idea? I'd think that breaking into someone's place would be a one way ticket to your brother's castle."

Hans innocently looked at her, "We're not breaking in," He gestured at the door, "The door just happened to be open and we just happened to need the doctor's assistance right away." He gave her a playful grin, "Worse case scenario, we lie and say you're ill."

Elsa crossed her arms, "I don't look sick."

Hans swiftly scooped her up in his arms and mischievously smiled, "If you prefer, I can lie and say you're pregnant, instead."

Elsa fidgeted in his arms, "Let go of me this instant! Hans! Put me down!" But his hold on her was too strong, so she just let him carry her in. Once they both were in, Hans closed the door behind him with his foot and Elsa angrily sighed, "Can you put me down now?"

Hans gently put her down, "Sorry, Your Majesty, but I had to get you in somehow." He turned to look out the window and then faced Elsa, "People might have noticed two strangers just loitering about, it looked too conspicuous."

Elsa placed a hand on her hip, "Yes, and just picking me up and dragging me in here against my will was normal behavior?"

Hans started searching around in the dark room, completely ignoring the queens icy glare, "Elsa think about it, we're next door to a pub…you're an attractive young women, I'm a 'drunk' young man. Do the math; this town has no concept of right and wrong so it would just appear as if I'm enjoying a night on the town with a very pretty lady…if you catch my meaning."

Elsa blushed, understanding his thought-process, "Oh…" She began looking around, trying to find a way to light up the dark room, "Do I look pregnant?"

That caught Hans by surprise that he almost knocked over a vial, "What?"

She walked up to him, "You said that you'd lie and say that I was pregnant…obviously you think I look the part since you brought it up."

Hans dramatically held Elsa's hand and knelt down before her, "My lady…dear Queen Elsa, please forgive me. I was a drunk man out there…I couldn't think straight."

Elsa laughed, "Well, if that's the reason then I suppose I can't do anything about it now."

Hans got up with a serious look on his face, "And, no, you don't look pregnant, I just said that so if anyone was eavesdropping," He turned and continued to search the room, "Well, let's just say, they got a little more than what they bargained for." Hans stumbled across some wood, "Ah-ha! Found some firewood!" He strode over to the fireplace, "Now let's get this fire started."

In a matter of a few minutes, Hans had a roaring fire set ablaze and the room filled with its warmth and light. But the warmth quickly disappeared once Hans and Elsa got a good look around the room. Elsa gasped, "What is this place?"

Everywhere they looked, there were bottles and vials filled with dismembered parts of animals; frog legs, mouse whiskers, pig tongues, the list was endless. Hans walked over to a vial filled with eyeballs, "Are you sure this is the right place?"

A fragile voice came out of nowhere, "Welcome new comers!"

Both Hans and Elsa jumped, causing Hans to reach for his side, but ended up empty handed remembering that he no longer possessed a sword, while Elsa protectively positioned her hands out; preparing to strike whatever caught them off guard.

The delicate voice came from the doorway that led to a back room, "Sorry to startle you, Queen Elsa."

Elsa's position stiffened, "Who are you? And how do you know my name?"

The owner of the delicate voice stepped into the room, revealing a beautiful middle-age woman with long black hair and kind, intellectual, blue eyes, "I am the person that you seek, my name is Eir…my friend sent you here to receive my help about an antidote."

Hans took a step towards her, "What kind of doctor are you?"

Elsa dropped her hands, "A witch doctor."

Eir nodded her head towards Elsa, "That is correct Queen Elsa. My good friend, Doctor Herald Omsorg, told you about my discovery of the Balembo fruit?"

Elsa shook her head, "He didn't tell us anything other than you having an antidote for my friend who is currently dying of the plague."

Eir signaled for Hans and Elsa to follow her as she walked into a back room, which turned out to be the kitchen and dining room. She sat at the table and gestured for them to sit, "Yes, the Balembo fruit is the final ingredient to an all-healing antidote that I have been working on for a few decades, now. It is hidden within the caves of these lands, but only those born with the powers of the unknown can find it." She looked at Elsa, "Your Majesty, I assume that you are aware of your powers?"

Elsa nodded, "Yes."

Eir smiled, "Good…" She looked at Hans, "And what about you?"

Hans almost fell out of his chair, "Excuse me? Sorry to disappoint, but I don't have any powers."

Eir laughed, "No, that's not what I meant. I foresaw Elsa coming here, but I didn't foresee you, Hans. I don't understand your purpose for coming along with her."

Hans sat up straight and slightly puffed out his chest, "I'm her protection detail."

This caused Eir to burst out laughing again, "I'm sure Elsa can protect herself…she is the queen of snow and ice after all."

Elsa uncomfortably shifted in her chair as she cleared her throat, "Actually, Hans saved my life a while back, so I thought an extra set of eyes would be helpful to ensure that I return home safely to my sister."

Eir wore a kind expression on her face, "I understand Queen Elsa. I wanted to test your loyalty to this man, to see if he is fit to go on this trek along side of you. Obviously you trust him, so he passed." Eir stood up and went to go get some fresh water for her guests.

Elsa looked down at her hands and mumbled, "I wouldn't exactly use the word 'trust'."

* * *

After an hour of socializing and refreshments, Eir led the two travelers to another room filled with books and maps. Eir climbed up a ladder that led to a high bookshelf, "Let's see here…ba-ba-ba, there! Here we go!" She grabbed a book and slid down the ladder with ease, then began reading from the book, "Balembo! It is a small round fruit that turns black when ripe. They are rich in flavonoids and polysaccharides, and the seeds have anti-inflammatory properties. The fruits are boiled in water to produce the syrup, which was the most effective of several antitussive remedies tested, and is nontoxic when given orally. Unfortunately, these Balembo fruits are found only in Africa." Eir closed the book and slammed it down on a nearby table, and then she made her way over to a desk with a large map lying on top.

She leaned over the map, "This is a map of Sperca and its surrounding landscape. Miraculously, I've been able to find traces of the Balembo fruit within the caves, here."

Hans peered over her shoulder, "If the Balembo fruit is indigenous to Africa and its warm, sunny climate, then how can it possibly grow in a cold, dark, cave?"

Eir smiled, "Valid observation, Hans. That's where Elsa and her powers come in. By some means, a specific area in the caves have developed an ideal environment for the Balembo fruit to grow, but only those with the powers of the unknown can get to it. I've tried to find it myself but, alas, I only have the powers of foresight and that alone is not enough to find the fruit."

Elsa furrowed her brows, "How are my powers of snow and ice, different from your powers of foresight?"

Eir rested a gently hand on Elsa's shoulder, "My gift is nothing more than a mere mental game, but yours have the ability to cause great change in the external and internal of all living things. Your powers can serve a purpose for everyone, while mine can only serve myself."

Eir strode out of the room and returned with a couple of satchels, "I've prepared enough food and drink to last the entire time you both are gone. Elsa, if you'll please follow me."

Eir led Elsa out of the study and into a bedroom, "I suggest that you change into something more reasonable while you're off on your quest." She handed Elsa a pair of tall black riding boots, a fitted light blue button-down long sleeved shirt, and a pair of light gray riding pants.

Elsa's jaw slightly dropped, "Are you sure? I've never worn pants before…even when horseback riding, I always opted for a gown."

Eir nodded, "Trust me, Your Majesty, your quest will be a lot easier without having to worry about your dress getting caught on things or accidentally flashing your very handsome colleague."

Elsa blushed, "You make a good point." She took the clothes Eir gave her and headed behind the changing screen.

Eir sat on the bed, "So what's your story with Hans?"

Elsa unhooked her bodice and started unbuttoning her dress, "What do you mean?"

Eir nonchalantly started braiding her dark hair, "Well, you obviously fancy him, and I see the way he looks at you when your back is turned, and I can confirm that he fancies you too."

Elsa attempted to put on her pants, "He is nothing more than my servant, and that's the end of it."

Eir shook her head, "I don't think so…I can feel some intimate tension between you two. So what's the problem?"

Elsa finished buttoning her shirt and step out from behind the changing screen, "He left my sister to freeze to death and attempted to kill me, all just to gain the throne of Arendelle."

Eir's jaw dropped, "I'm sorry, I had no idea!"

Elsa tucked in her shirt and started putting on her boots, "I thought you had the supernatural ability to see things, this shouldn't be a surprise to you."

Eir guiltily looked at Elsa, "I only have the ability of foresight, which means I can't see things of the past, I can only see things that are yet to come. I wasn't aware of you or your kingdom until recently."

Elsa looked at herself in the mirror; _Not bad…this is actually pretty comfortable. And it surprisingly fits me really nicely. _She looked at Eir in the mirror, "Will Kristoff survive this plague?"

Eir stood up from the bed and placed a loving hand on her shoulder, "If all goes well with your quest, and he should receive the antidote, he will indeed survive the plague."

Elsa smiled weakly, "I'm willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that Kristoff gets this antidote."

Eir knowingly nodded, "I know."

The two women stepped out of the room, and Eir couldn't help but giggle when she noticed Hans's reaction to seeing Elsa in such form fitting clothes, the man's eyes practically bugged out of his head and his jaw went slack. Elsa cleared her throat which snapped Hans back into reality, "Your Majesty, you look absolutely stunning in those clothes. You should wear pants more often."

Elsa giggled, "Thank you. They are quite comfortable but not really fitting for a queen to wear around her palace."

Eir handed each of them a satchel; one with the food and drink, the other with the map and information of the Balembo. As she handed them their satchels, her face went very solemn.

Elsa became worried, "What is it? What's wrong?"

Eir quickly grabbed hold of Elsa's wrist and hastily walked to a back door, "You must go now."

Hans slipped on his satchel, "What's happening?"

Eir opened the back door, "Usually, I would insist that you both stay the night here, but given what I have just seen…if you were to wait until morning to start your quest, you would never make it out of the town."

As Elsa and Hans stepped outside, Elsa grabbed Eir's hand, "What did you see?"

Eir's concerned eyes met Elsa's worried eyes, "I'm not supposed to tell you, but…let's just say that there is a good chance that your cover has been blown."

Elsa's eyes widened, "What?"

Hans sneered, "That's impossible!"

Eir shook her head, "You must go now…stay safe, watch out for each other, and remember only Elsa can find the Balembo fruit. Hans, you have to trust her, whatever she says goes."

Hans nodded, "That's how it's been for the past few months, anyways."

Elsa gratefully smiled, "Thank you, we'll be back before you know it." And with that, Elsa and Hans ran into the thick forest behind them.

As soon as she saw them disappear into the forest, Eir closed her door and began to weep. For she had seen the outcome of their journey, and she knew that only _one_ person was going to make it back to Arendelle with the antidote.


	22. Chapter 22

**********Hi Everyone! So I was writing the next chapter and it kept getting longer and longer so then I finally decided that I had to break it up into two separate chapters, so here's the first part and hopefully I can finish the second part by the end of today. If not, then definitely tomorrow! Thank you guys so much for reading my story and for reviewing! Enjoy :)**

**********Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**

**Chapter 22: Dreams (I)**

Elsa and Hans ran through the thick foliage of the forest until they couldn't possibly continue running any further. They stopped at the top of a large hill and found some shelter underneath the thick foliage of trees. Hans bent over and placed his hands on his knees; as he inhaled large breaths, he looked over at a cool and composed Elsa leaning against a tree, "How do you not look tired? We just ran how many miles, and there's not even a single glisten of sweat on your brow."

Elsa took a deep breath, trying to calm her heart rate, "My body temperature is lower than yours or any normal persons, so therefore I do not sweat as easily as one would."

Hans straightened his posture, "So you _do_ sweat?"

Elsa shrugged, "I suppose I do, I mean, I _am _still human. I've yet to seen it happen, though."

Hans looked around, "Hmm…perhaps we should rest up here until day light breaks, we haven't had any sleep at all today and if we don't get some shut eye then I fear we will start making dumb mistakes."

Elsa nodded her head, "I agree with you…you sleep and I'll take the first shift on watch."

Hans shook his head, "No, I'll take the first shift, you can sleep-"

Elsa put her hand up to silence him, "I insist…" She looked down at her hands, "I don't get very much sleep anymore, ever since I froze Anna…again."

Hans removed his satchel, "Again? What happened the first time?"

Elsa sat down on a fallen tree, "When we were little, Anna and I used to play together _all_ the time, sometimes with my magic, sometimes without it. But one night Anna woke me up and insisted on building a snowman in the middle of the night, so being silly young girls we ran into the ballroom and I used my powers to create a little winter wonderland. Everything was going well, until she started jumping around from snow pedestal to snow pedestal. I would create new ones to catch her with, but she kept going faster and faster, and then I slipped on my dress and fell. Anna didn't realize I wasn't ready to catch her, so she jumped and I panicked and shot a blind icy blast in her direction, hoping it would catch her…but instead I hit her head." Hans slowly sat beside her, but remained silent as Elsa took a shaky breath and continued, "She fell onto the snow, and she was just lying there…unconscious. Her entire body was ice cold and, for a moment there, I thought that I had killed my sister. Fortunately, my parents came in and they knew how to fix the disaster I had created, but when the ice in Anna's head was thawed, she got her memory erased of any sign of magic I had ever shown her. All she remembered were the good times we shared, but no magic…I was told that my powers would only grow stronger and if I didn't learn to control them, fear would be my worst enemy and cause great danger to those around me. That's why I shut myself away from Anna for thirteen years; I couldn't learn to control my powers so I decided to learn to control my emotions, instead."

Hans furrowed his brows, "Who thawed Anna's head?"

Elsa smirked, "A troll…"

Realization dawned on Hans as he finally saw all the pieces come together, "So that's why Anna had that white streak in her hair. And the troll was the one who changed her memories too?"

Elsa solemnly nodded, "Yes."

Hans tilted his head, "So when you accidentally struck her with your powers again, you had a flashback to your childhood?"

A single tear rolled down Elsa's cheek, "Yes, and yet, the second time was far worse because I actually _did _kill her…that's why when you told me that Anna was dead because of me, I didn't stop you from killing me. I was a monster and I deserved to die."

Hans's jaw dropped, "Wait! You knew?"

Elsa remained silent as the memory played in her mind, then she turned towards Hans with a hard icy glare, "But you lied to me…I may have struck Anna's heart but _you _were the one who could have saved her! But you didn't! You locked her in a room and left her to die! She trusted you! She loved you and believed in the love you two shared! Don't you even feel a little guilty about everything you did to her?"

Hans looked down but didn't say anything. Elsa felt a revived sense of hatred towards Hans and angrily stood up, "You know what you are, Hans? A sociopath! Because a sociopath comes from a troubled childhood, while having the ability to appear witty, charming, and intelligent to those around you. They lie frequently, are prone to illegal activities, and when caught, they show no sign of remorse or guilt, a complete lack of empathy, disregard for the well-being and feelings of others…they are incapable of love."

Elsa started to walk away when Hans stood up, "Where are you going?"

She continued to storm off, "To stand watch…just get some sleep Hans." And with that, she disappeared through the trees.

Hans exhaled a long tired breath and ran a hand through his hair, "Well, that could have gone better." He sat on the ground and leaned back on the fallen tree; he closed his eyes and forced himself to get some sleep.

* * *

_Hans was standing near the entrance of a hidden cave that overlooked the entire Kingdom of Sperca as he began pacing back and forth, "Come on Elsa, what's taking so long?"_

_Suddenly he heard a distant voice call out, "HANS! HANS, I GOT IT!" He turned to see Elsa excitedly run towards him, holding her satchel out ahead of her, "It took awhile but I got it!"_

_His shoulders sagged with relief, "Thank goodness…you were in there for so long, I was beginning to fear the worst."_

_Elsa reached the entrance of the cave and slipped the satchel around her body, "Sorry, but I'm here and I've got the fruit, so let's get out of here before-"_

_From the forest a voice called out, "Stop where you are! Don't move!" Elsa and Hans froze and exchanged worried expressions. "Slowly turn around with your hands in the air!" Elsa and Hans did as they were told. A group of seven men emerged on horseback from the forest, all carrying swords and had their crossbows aimed at the two foreigners._

_Elsa quietly whispered to Hans, "I want you to slowly reach for your satchel…"_

_Hans's eyes widened, "Are you joking? I'll get shot-"_

_Elsa hissed, "Just trust me!"_

_As Hans slowly moved his hands towards his satchel, the man who seemed to be in charge of the troop moved his horse closer to them, "I said don't move!"_

_Hans froze, but Elsa calmly whispered, "Keep going…I won't let them hurt you." When she noticed Hans falter, Elsa gently whispered, "You have to trust me, Hans."_

_Hans continued to move his hands, "I hope you know what you're doing."_

_Elsa took a deep breath, "Just wait for it…"_

_The man on the horse stepped even closer, "Stop, don't move!" Hans almost reached his satchel, when the man aimed his crossbow directly at Hans, "Hold it right there…FREEZE!"_

_That's all Elsa needed to hear, as she shot a strong icy blast from each hand towards the troop, which momentarily stopped them from advancing as they froze with shock. Elsa took that moment to stomp her foot on the ground and created an arena of ice on the ground around them. The horses bucked the men off and ran away scared towards the direction they came from. That woke the men from their shock as they scrambled for their crossbows; Elsa gave an impish grin, "Hans, I need you to step back."_

_Hans looked at her with confusion, "Excuse me?"_

_Elsa glared at him, "Stay back!" And with that she shot another icy blast at one of the men who reached their crossbow first, knocking him and his crossbow in opposite directions. She waved her hand across her body which created a barrier between herself and half of the troop. The other half regained possession of their weapons and aimed at the ice queen, but Elsa quickly responded by swiftly raising her hand as sharp icicles threatened to impale the men. The men quickly dropped their weapons in surrender as Elsa sauntered across the ice towards them with Hans closely behind her. Hans looked around and quickly took count of the men present, "All six men are accounted for."_

_Elsa stopped in her tracks, "Six?!" She turned towards Hans, "There were seven originally-"_

_All of a sudden, an arrow shot through the air and struck the Queen in her upper abdominal region. She fell to her knees and gasped for air, as Hans turned around and saw the seventh man, the leader no less, hiding in the forest behind them. Hans charged towards the man and savagely beat him to the point of unconsciousness before he could reload his crossbow. As soon as the man went limp, Hans sprinted back to Elsa and caught her before she fell backwards. He cradled her in his lap and stroked her hair out of her face, "Elsa? Elsa can you hear me? Please don't die on me; please don't go…Elsa don't you dare die on me! What about your sister? Think about Anna…you can't leave her!"_

_Elsa continued to gasp for air, as she cupped a hand around his face, "Please make sure Kristoff gets the antidote…"_

_Hans nodded, "I will."_

_She took a shaky breath, "Let Kristoff and Anna know that I approve of their marriage…"_

_Hans smiled, "Of course."_

_Elsa took in another gasp, "And promise that you will continue to look after them for me. "_

_Hans nodded, "I promise."_

_A single tear rolled down Elsa's cheek, "Tell Anna that I love her."_

_Tears welled up in Hans's eyes, "You have my word."_

_And with that, the light in Elsa's crystal blue eyes faded as she released her final breath, letting her hand slowly fall as her body went cold and limp in Hans's arms._

_Hans sat there and held onto her lifeless body for several minutes, reflecting on everything that had happened on his journey. It figures that as soon as he started feeling again, the worst thing he could ever imagine happened. He pressed his forehead against hers and held her close once last time, causing him to just break down and sob, "I'm so sorry Elsa. I was supposed to protect you, and once again, I have failed." He looked up towards the sky as it began to rain, "Why her?! She had a sister who loved her and needed her! WHY?!"_

Hans gasped and sat up straight, he felt something wet on his face so he reached up and noticed that the wetness came from the tears he had been shedding in his sleep. It was a cloudy day, but Hans could tell that it was indeed daylight. He frantically looked around to see where he was, his heart dropping when he realized that he was still on his journey for the Balembo fruit, except he couldn't figure out whether his dream was real or not. He heard a twig snap and his body tensed up, "Who's there?"

Out of the shadows, Elsa slowly approached him, unharmed and alive, "It's me, Hans." Her face wore an expression of worry when she saw his tear-streaked face, "What's wrong?"

Hans contained the urge to run and embrace Elsa, upon seeing that she was still alive, "Nothing, Elsa, it was just a dream…a horrible, terrible dream."

Elsa walked up to him as he quickly wiped his face and stood up, "Was it another dream about your family?"

Hans had a distraught look about him, "Not exactly…it was about losing someone I really cared for."

Elsa understandably nodded her head, "Well…at least it was only a dream." She picked up her satchel, "Let's get going, the sooner we find this cave and the fruit, the better for Kristoff."

* * *

**So as I was writing this chapter, I started wondering if you guys preferred reading longer chapters or shorter chapters? Please let me know what you guys think by PM. Thanks for reading and I'll make sure to get the next chapter out no later than tomorrow! :)**


	23. Chapter 23

**************Hey Everyone! Here's the next chapter, just like I promised! I've gotten some of your preferences about the chapter lengths and all of them preferred long chapters, so I will definitely try to do that. I also wanted to let you guys know that I've gotten many comments about my story line, and believe me when I say that I do take your feedback into consideration when it comes to developing my plot. I want you guys to be happy, but I also want to provide a little bit of an emotional rollercoaster. I think you will all enjoy this chapter, although it's filled with quite a bit of emotional ups and downs, but please remember to review and thanks for reading! :)**

**************Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**  


**Chapter 23: Dreams (II)**

Hans picked up his satchel and followed Elsa through the forest; "_At least it was only a dream"…but what if it wasn't? It was so real, and the detail was disturbingly precise. _They continued walking in silence for a couple of hours; _What if my dream was a vision of what is yet to come? _Hans was startled when Elsa suddenly stopped, "What is it?"

Elsa looked back at Hans, "We're here." She pointed out in front of her, a large entrance to a very familiar looking cave.

Hans reluctantly turned around and a knot began to form in his stomach when he saw the same exact view of the Kingdom of Sperca as he did in his dream, "Great…"

Elsa took a deep breath and turned towards Hans, "I need you to stay out here…Eir said only I could find the fruit and bringing you along may jeopardize my task. I'll be back as soon as possible."

She started making her way into the cave when Hans called after her, "Please, be careful!"

Elsa turned around and tried to give Hans a comforting smile, "I will, don't worry about me!"

As soon as Elsa disappeared from Hans's sight he searched the area around him and began constructing a weapon out of stones and sticks; _I do worry about you, Elsa. I worry that you do not see how dangerous this assignment really is. _After another couple of hours, Hans admired his newly constructed knife; _I will not fail this time, I promise._

* * *

Elsa cautiously made her way through the dark, cold, wet cave. A chill ran down her spine, not because of the temperature, but because of the eeriness that surrounded her. _There hasn't been any sign of the Balembo fruit or of anything containing life, for that matter. _She ran her hand along the side of the cave; _I wish it wasn't so dark down here, I could use some light right about-_

She stopped in her tracks; there ahead of her was the slightest bit of light, almost like the light at the end of a tunnel. She walked a little faster towards it, getting her hopes up that this light led to the fruit, but as soon as she reached the light, she became blinded by it and couldn't see where she was going or what was happening, as a sudden wind picked up. She slowly continued walking forward, but she felt as if she was moving in what seemed to be in slow motion. Finally the blinding light disappeared and she was dumbfounded to discover where she was, "Arendelle? But how is this possible?"

Elsa perked up when she saw her sister walking down the corridors towards her, "Anna!" She went to give her sister a hug, but she went right through Anna's body. _That's odd…I must be seeing visions about what's happening in Arendelle. _

Anna walked up to Kai, "Any news regarding my sister?"

Kai solemnly shook his head, "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, nothing yet."

Anna's usually cheery face, now looked tired and miserable, "Thanks anyways, Kai."

As she turned to walk away, Kai gently placed a hand on her shoulder, "Queen Anna, I think you should start thinking about your coronation, such as the date and other important details."

Elsa's furrowed her brows; _Queen Anna? Coronation? Wait, does this mean that I'm_-

Anna shook her head, "I just can't Kai…I feel that if I start planning my coronation, I'm also giving up the hope that she's still out there."

"Your Majesty, I think it's time to acknowledge that she's not coming back-

"No she will! She's not dead! And I won't believe it until I receive a letter telling me otherwise!"

"Your Majesty, it's almost been a year since Elsa and Hans left for Sperca, and we haven't received any notice that they're still alive. I understand that this past year has been quite painful for you, losing Kristoff and all, but I think it's time for you to step up in your sister's place as the next rightful Queen of Arendelle."

Anna nodded and took a deep breath, "Yes, I suppose you're right. Elsa would have wanted me to be strong and step up in her absence, and I will do just that. I'll set a coronation date by tomorrow, so we can begin sending out the invitations soon."

Kai bowed, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Elsa observed Anna's mature persona; _since when did Anna grow up so fast? She doesn't look the same; her hair's pulled back into a tight bun, her dresses are more formal than fun, she's lost the skip in her step and the life in her eyes are gone._

Anna quickly walked away, down the palace corridors, into the courtyard, out of the castle gates and headed straight to the buff, looking over the ocean, where both her parents were buried. She placed a bouquet of flowers by each of her parent's tombstone, and then proceeded to another tombstone that was much farther away. Anna slowly approached the tombstone and placed a bundle of carrots by it, followed by a single chocolate rose. Anna gracefully sat on her knees, "Hey Kristoff, I brought you some carrots. I know that the traditional thing would be flowers, but I know you're not much of a flower person and that you would appreciate a good carrot much more. I talked to Sven again this morning, I make sure to at least see him once, maybe twice a day, for you. He's doing okay; he misses his best friend a lot though. No news about Elsa and Hans still, and tomorrow I'm setting a date for my coronation, so that's something new. I miss you so much…do you realize that today would have been the one year anniversary of our first kiss? Do you remember that day? Elsa had just thawed Arendelle and I finally gave you that spiffy new sled I owed you, and you were just so excited that you picked me up and twirled me around like I weighed nothing. Then in the most awkward and adorable way, you asked if you could kiss me…" Anna couldn't keep it together any longer; she dropped her face into her hands and began to weep, "Oh Kristoff, why did you have to leave me here all alone?"

Elsa's vision became blurry because of the tears; _I don't understand…why am I seeing all of this desolation and despair? I thought I was here for the Balembo fruit, not to be tortured by more haunting visions._

The wind around Elsa picked up and before she knew what was going on, she realized that she was back in Arendelle's castle. But this time the corridors were not filled with misery, instead there were bright spring flowers everywhere, while maids and footmen breathlessly ran about the castle halls. Elsa spotted Gerda excitedly make her way to Anna's bedroom with what appeared to be a white dress. Elsa couldn't help but suspect what was going on, but just to make sure, she ran after Gerda and also entered Anna's bedroom.

Gerda was surprised that Anna wasn't in her room, "Princess Anna?" Anna peeked out of her wardrobe, "Princess Anna! I managed to get the chocolate stain out of your wedding gown!"

Elsa let out a sigh of relief; _Princess__ Anna…now that's a good sign!_

Anna excitedly strode into the room with a silk lime green robe on, "You did?! Gerda that's wonderful!" Anna picked up the dress and twirled around the room with it, "I promise I'll be more careful with it this time! Thank you!"

There was a knock on the door, before Queen Elsa stuck her head in, "How's it going in here?"

Anna smiled upon seeing her sister and held up her dress, "Elsa! Look! Gerda saved my dress!"

Elsa laughed and walked into the room, "I'm glad! Just remember what we discussed earlier-"

Anna impatiently nodded, "I know, I know…eating chocolate while getting your wedding dress fitted is a mistake you only make once in your life."

The Elsa from the present skeptically looked at the Elsa from the vision; _There's something different about me…There seems to be a sort of sparkle in my eyes, my face is radiate, my smile is friendlier, my overall appearance seems to be much happier, almost Anna-like._

Anna slipped on her wedding dress while Elsa and Gerda complimented about how beautiful she looked, until visionary Elsa hugged her sister and headed for the door, "I'm just going to go check on the final details; I'll see you right before the wedding starts."

Present-day Elsa followed visionary Elsa out of the room and down the halls, towards the chapel. When visionary Elsa turned the corner, she came face to face with Hans, "Good morning Hans, is everything all set to go?"

Hans smiled broadly at her, "We are indeed ready for the most extravagant wedding of the year!"

Elsa joyfully laughed and lovingly reached for Hans's hands, "Most extravagant wedding of the _year_?"

Hans chuckled, "Well, I would have said of the decade, but given that our wedding is also coming up next year, I didn't want one to seem more special than the other."

Hans leaned down and softly kissed his fiancé on the lips with such tenderness that it made his bride-to-be wish that they were also getting married today. Elsa affectionately looked at Hans, "You know…Anna tried to convince me that we should have had a double wedding today."

Hans laughed quietly, "But then each of you wouldn't get your own spotlight, you'd be sharing it. I know sharing is a good thing, but I think its best that you and Anna be a little more selfish about your wedding days and anniversaries."

Elsa giggled, "Perhaps you're right."

Present-day Elsa couldn't help but smile at the two lovebirds; _so that's why I look different…I'm in love! Although, being engaged to Hans was not something I was expecting._

Another whirlwind kicked up and transported present-day Elsa from the lovely scene to one of nothing but white. Elsa looked around, confused; _where am I now? _

From behind, she heard a voice that she had not heard in several years, "Elsa?"

She quickly turned around and almost collapsed from shock, "Mama? Papa?"

Elsa warily walked over to her late parents and stopped directly in front of them. She slowly stuck out a shaky hand to see if she could actually touch them, then she let out a small gasp when her hand didn't go through them. The late King smiled warmly, "It's okay Elsa."

Tears streaked down Elsa's face as she hugged the parents that she lost several years ago, the parents she had not be able to touch since she was eight years old. The three of them stayed in the warm embrace for a few minutes, before pulling away. Elsa looked back and forth between her parents, "Am I dead?"

Her father chuckled, "No, Elsa…you are in a deep comatose-like sleep, but still alive. You were on a quest to find the Balembo fruit for an all-healing antidote to save Kristoff. What you are experiencing, right now, is the process to gain the magic fruit."

Elsa raised her eyebrows, "It is?"

Her mother smiled kindly, "You have seen glimpses of two very different futures, one with desolation and despair, one with happiness and joy. The choices you make on this journey, Elsa, can affect the rest of your future."

The late King put an arm around his daughter, "Elsa look over here…" A vision of Hans standing by the entrance of the cave appeared, "You have been gone for about a day and a half, and that man has not left that same spot since you first departed. He has seen something terrible in his future through his dreams and he is determined to make sure that it doesn't happen."

Elsa furrowed her brows, "His dreams? He told me that he lost someone he cared for in his dream the other night; I assumed it was a family member?"

Her mother tenderly held Elsa's hand, "He doesn't care for anyone in his family, so it wouldn't have been a family member…" Elsa silently thought to herself, as her mother gently squeezed her hand, "It was you, dear."

Elsa's eyes widened, "Me? Why would Hans dream about losing me?"

Her father gently squeezed her shoulder, "The man cares deeply for you Elsa, probably more than he knows. He's spent the last thirty-six hours thinking about ways to protect you and to avoid the nightmare he's seen."

Her mother cupped Elsa's face with her hands and looked her daughter in the eye, "If you find someone who makes you smile, who checks up on you often to see if you're okay, who watches out for you and wants the very best for you, don't let them go. Keep them close and don't take them for granted. People like that are hard to find."

Elsa looked down, "I can't allow myself to develop feelings for Hans…he tried to kill Anna and me-"

Her father placed a sturdy hand on her shoulder, "We know what he did to you and your sister…"

Her mother's eyes softened, "The true mark of maturity is when somebody hurts you and you try to understand their situation instead of trying to hurt them back."

Elsa nodded, "I did seem to be very happy with him in the visions…" Elsa looked back and forth between her parents, "So you knew about everything that happened over the past six months?"

Her father warmly smiled, "Your mother and I are always there for you and Anna, maybe not in the flesh, but in spirit. We saw your coronation and everything afterwards…"

Elsa couldn't meet her father's eyes, "I'm sorry about hurting Anna, again."

Her mother began stoking Elsa's hair, "Don't be sorry…that crazy adventure brought you and Anna much closer together than anything your father and I could have ever done."

The late King smiled sincerely, "Ultimately, you learned to control your powers and let Anna back into your life."

Elsa felt a light breeze starting to pick up, signaling that it was time for her to go, "I must be waking up now…" She embraced her parents for one last final hug as tears welled up in her eyes, "I miss you both so much…I always regretted never saying goodbye and giving you a farewell hug. But now, I think I finally have the closure that I needed."

Her mother gave her hands a gently squeeze, "And don't forget that you always have Anna at your side."

Elsa nodded, "Trust me, I'll never take her for granted ever again."

As the wind grew stronger, Elsa remembered something, "Oh! How long do I have before time runs out for Kristoff?"

Her father yelled over the wind, "In exactly a month's time from when you left Arendelle, which means you have about three weeks left!"

Elsa nodded, "I love you both so much! I'll let Anna know that you guys are watching over us!"

Her father sternly shook his head, "No! You mustn't tell anyone about the visions and interactions you experienced here. Promise me that you will not tell a soul, including your sister!"

Elsa shook her head, "I will not, Father!"

Her mother wrapped an arm around her husband's waist, "Take care, my little snowflake! We love you!"

Her father wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders, "And we're proud of everything that you've accomplished as queen and as an older sister!"

Tears began streaming down her cheeks, as the image of her parents slowly faded away. The next thing she saw, was the ceiling of the cave; _my little snowflake…wow I haven't heard that since I was eight years old. _Elsa slowly rolled her head to the left and lone behold, a very small tree bearing the Balembo fruit grew before her. Elsa blinked several times, making sure she wasn't hallucinating, and then she slowly made her way up onto her feet. She bent down to pick the fruit off the tree, "Now time to get this back to Eir, so she can start working on the antidote." _You have been gone for about a day and a half, and that man has not left that same spot since you first departed. _Elsa stood up straight and gasped, "Hans!" Then she took off running towards the cave's entrance.

* * *

Hans was standing near the entrance of a hidden cave that overlooked the entire Kingdom of Sperca as he began pacing back and forth, "Come on Elsa, what's taking so long?" He quickly stopped pacing, realizing that he was replicating what he saw in his dream a couple nights ago.

Suddenly he heard a distant voice call out, "HANS! HANS, I GOT IT!" He turned to see Elsa excitedly run towards him, holding her satchel out ahead of her, "It took awhile but I got it!"

His shoulders sagged with relief, "Thank goodness…you were in there for so long, I was beginning to fear the worst." His eyes widened with recognition realizing what he had done again.

Elsa reached the entrance of the cave and slipped the satchel around her body, "Sorry, but I'm here and I've got the fruit-"

Hans quickly grabbed her hand, "Let's get out of here before-"

From the forest a voice called out, "Stop where you are! Don't move!" Elsa and Hans froze and exchanged worried expressions. "Slowly turn around with your hands in the air!" Elsa and Hans did as they were told. A group of seven men emerged on horseback from the forest, all carrying swords and had their crossbows aimed at the two foreigners. Hans's heart began to beat faster; _gah! It's happening! No, my nightmare won't come true as long as Elsa doesn't say-_

Elsa silently observed the situation; _the choices you make on this journey, Elsa, can affect the rest of your future._ She quietly whispered to Hans, "I want you to slowly reach for your satchel…"

Hans's eyes widened, "Why would you say something like that?"

Elsa hissed, "Just trust me!"

As Hans reluctantly moved his hands towards his satchel, the man who seemed to be in charge of the troop moved his horse closer to them, "I said don't move!"

Hans froze, but Elsa calmly whispered, "Keep going…I won't let them hurt you." When she noticed Hans falter, Elsa gently whispered, "You have to trust me, Hans."

Hans's heart pounded in his chest; _play along Hans, don't fight it! Remember the plan… _Hans continued to move his hands, "I hope you know what you're doing."

Elsa took a deep breath, "Just wait for it…"

The man on the horse stepped even closer, "Stop, don't move!" Hans almost reached his satchel, when the man aimed his crossbow directly at Hans, "Hold it right there…FREEZE!"

That's all Elsa needed to hear, as she shot a strong icy blast from each hand towards the troop, which momentarily stopped them from advancing as they froze with shock. Elsa took that moment to stomp her foot on the ground and created an arena of ice on the ground around them. The horses bucked the men off and ran away scared towards the direction they came from. That woke the men from their shock as they scrambled for their crossbows; Elsa gave an impish grin, "Hans, I need you to step back."

Hans looked at her with false confusion, "Excuse me?"

Elsa glared at him, "Stay back!" And with that she shot another icy blast at one of the men who reached their crossbow first, knocking him and his crossbow in opposite directions. She waved her hand across her body which created a barrier between herself and half of the troop. The other half regained possession of their weapons and aimed at the ice queen, but Elsa quickly responded by swiftly raising her hand as sharp icicles threatened to impale the men. The men quickly dropped their weapons in surrender as Elsa sauntered across the ice towards them with Hans closely behind her. Hans looked around, particularly behind them, and knowingly took count of the men present as he reach in his back pocket for his home-made knife, "All six men are accounted for."

Elsa stopped in her tracks, "Six?!" She turned towards Hans, "There were seven originally-"

Hans hear the sound of the crossbow and pounced on Elsa, "Get down!"

Elsa yelped as Hans tackled her to the ground, he let out a low grimace then he proceeded to swiftly sit up and throw his knife at the seventh man hiding in the forest, miraculously catching his jacket collar and pinning him against the tree as the crossbow fell out of reach.

Elsa's heart was bounding so hard, but she couldn't tell if it was from either the excitement of the situation or the way Hans was positioned above her. After he trapped the last man he smiled down at Elsa and promptly turned pink when he realized that Elsa's body was straddled between his legs. He clumsily rolled off of her, "Sorry…I didn't to-"

Elsa quietly laughed, "No, don't be sorry! You saved my life, again!"

Hans stood up and helped Elsa onto her feet, "It's all a part of the job description."

Elsa knowingly raised an eyebrow, "Sure, of course that's all it is." She looked around, "So what should we do with these men?"

Hans walked over to the leader, who was the one pinned against the tree, "Who are you?! Why did you try to kill us?!"

The leader seemed to be intimidated by Hans's anger, "We were sent by someone…they told us that two unknown visitors were prowling around our forests and that we were to put an end to them."

Hans leaned closer, "Who sent you?"

The man began to sweat, "The Captain of the Royal Guard…he said the orders came straight from King Kendrick himself!"

Elsa walked over to the man, "Wait, so you're supposed to be a part of the royal guard?"

The man nodded, "We act more as spies in the village than actual guards at the palace, but nevertheless we still work for the King."

Hans stepped away from the man, "Kendrick has gone too far this time…he has crossed the line!"

Elsa followed behind Hans, "So what are you going to do about it? I thought you wanted to avoid him at all costs."

Hans nodded, "I did…but that's before he unknowingly tried to murder two innocent people, which one of them so happens to be the Queen of Arendelle."

The man's eyes grew wide, "Queen of Arendelle? You mean, _the_ Queen Elsa of Arendelle?"

Elsa skeptically looked at him, "Yes…"

He squirmed, "Your Majesty, I've heard so much about you and you're ice powers, which I originally didn't believe in until today that is. It is an honor to meet you!"

Hans yanked his knife out of the tree causing the man to fall on his knees, "Quit brown-nosing it and take me to your King."

The man gave Hans an odd look, _"You?_ I understand taking Queen Elsa to the King, but what importance do you carry?"

Hans sneered and put his face close to the man, "Because I am the King's long lost, thought-to-be dead brother."

The man looked over at Elsa, who just simply nodded and pointed to Hans's genetically unique sideburns. The man nodded, "Yes, sir, of course! Right this way to the castle…"


	24. Chapter 24

**********Hey Guys! I just want to thank everyone for all the amazing reviews that you all have written about my story! They are just so kind and encouraging, you guys are awesome! Please keep reviewing and I hope you enjoy this next chapter! Happy Reading! :)**

**********Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**

**Chapter 24: First Impressions**

Before heading to the castle, Elsa and Hans collected all the weapons from the troop and gathered them into an orderly block; with the leader in the front, Elsa and Hans in the back so they can keep an eye on everyone. As they started to move out, Elsa leaned over and whispered to Hans, "Thank you."

Hans raised his eyebrows, "Pardon?"

Elsa couldn't help but let a small smile spread across her lips, "What you did back there…spotting that man hiding in the forest, pushing me out of the way before the arrow struck me, stopping that man with your knife…it was all pretty impressive."

Hans grinned, "Well thank you, Your Majesty."

Elsa felt a little disappointed that Hans was speaking to her formally again, she felt a lot closer to him when they were on a first-name basis, but she understood that as long as the troop knew Elsa was a queen, then Hans must refer to her as such.

Hans let out a deep sigh which caused Elsa to give him a side glance, "Is everything okay? You aren't hurt, are you?"

Hans swallowed, "I don't think so…"

Elsa bent down to pick up an apple that fell out of the satchel, but faltered when she noticed a few drops of some unknown substance on the ground, "Hans?" She peered closer and touched it with two fingers, then gasped, "Blood?!" She quickly stood up and authoritatively commanded the troop to stop, "Someone is bleeding badly, check for any signs of injury!"

The men starting searching themselves and their neighbors up and down for any sign of bleeding, but they found nothing. Hans cautiously looked at Elsa, "Are you sure it was blood?"

Elsa checked herself and she also couldn't find any blood, "I'm pretty sure…" She froze and noticed that Hans was still wearing his brown coat; she suddenly raced towards him and practically tore the coat right off of him, revealing a large red blood stain by his lower left ribcage. Elsa gasped, "You are hurt! The arrow must have clipped you after all!" She signaled to the leader, "Do you have anything that can help stop the bleeding?"

The leader shook his head, "I'm afraid not, Queen Elsa…any supplies we had were strapped to the horses, but they've all run off."

Two men supported Hans and led him to a large boulder so he could sit and rest. Elsa's mind was reeling; the choices you make on this journey, Elsa, can affect the rest of your future. Elsa snapped her fingers, "That's it!" She patted down the coat she was carrying and found the scarf that she used when they first arrived. Elsa rushed over to Hans, "Someone take off his shirt…" Elsa slightly cringed when she saw the wound; it was a lot deeper than she thought, "Alright…let's hope this works." Elsa wrapped the scarf around Han's chest and made sure to tie it tightly, making Hans let out a sharp grunt, "Sorry, but the tighter the better." After the scarf seem secured, Elsa thought up one more idea, "Just to be safe…" She gently placed a hand on the scarf and delicately formed a very thin layer of ice over the wound, hoping it would temporarily help stop the bleeding, "Perhaps it's a little unorthodox, but you'll be fine."

Hans smirked, "Why is it that I always find you attending to my wounds?"

Elsa rolled her eyes, "Because, Hans, you are extremely accident prone."

Hans laughed, then grimaced when a sharp pain hit him, "We better get back to the village as soon as possible, because it looks like it's about to start rain-"

A loud clap of thunder crashed, making everyone jump, followed by a sudden down pour. One of the troops spotted an awning made of rock from a nearby cliff, "Over there! There's some shelter!"

Everyone ran towards the awning, while two men helped Hans reach the shelter just as another clap of thunder rang out. As everyone tried to squeeze underneath the small awning, Elsa sat down behind Hans, "Well this is just terrific…"

Hans confusingly looked back at her, "Can't you do something about this? You were able to change the weather in Arendelle from summer to winter, then back to summer again."

Elsa firmly shook her head, "I can only create snowy wintery weather," Another clap of thunder crashed, "You want me to add snow to this?"

Hans furrowed his brows, "But you brought back summer, didn't you?"

Elsa shook her head, again, "I didn't bring it back, it was already summer…I just reversed the storm I had created."

Hans nodded, "I see." Hans's eyes began to feel heavy, "Please excuse me, Your Majesty, but I think I'm going to get some shut eye. It doesn't seem as if the storm will lighten up anytime soon and I need to regain my strength."

Elsa thoughtfully nodded, "I understand…" She tried to scoot over so Hans could lie down, but there was no room. Elsa made an executive decision and leaned back against the rock, sitting with her legs crossed, "Hans, don't take this the wrong way, but, you can place your head in my lap."

Hans surprisingly raised his eyebrows, "Are you sure about this?"

Elsa folded up her coat and placed it on her lap as a pillow for him, "I think so…just do it before I change my mind."

Hans lightly chuckled, "Okay…if you're sure." He carefully leaned back and placed his head on her lap, at first he looked awkward but then he quickly got over it, "Hmm…not bad."

Elsa laughed, "Comfortable?"

Hans gratefully smiled, "Very much so, yes. Thanks…" He looked around and noticed that everyone else was already asleep, "…Elsa."

Elsa smiled, "It's the least I could do after what you did for me today."

Hans closed his eyes, "Why don't you get some sleep, too…you deserve it."

_I've been asleep for thirty-six hours straight; I couldn't possibly fall asleep now. _Elsa placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, "I'm okay…I'll be just fine."

Elsa noticed that when she put her hand on Hans's shoulder a small smile grew upon his lips; _Mama and Papa were right…he really does care about me._

* * *

As soon as the rain stopped, the sun's rays streamed through the clouds, signaling that it was morning. Hans was the first to wake up, "What time is it?"

Elsa, who had stayed up the whole night, whispered, "About an hour past sunrise."

Hans jumped and blinked his eyes several times at her, "Oh! Good morning, Elsa."

Elsa smirked, "I didn't mean to scare you."

Hans stretched, "Scare? Nah…you didn't scare me, startled me perhaps. I just temporarily forgot you were there."

He slowly sat up with Elsa's help, "How are you feeling?"

Hans grimaced, "Good as new."

Elsa helped Hans get on his feet, "You're lying through your teeth."

Hans chuckled, "Maybe a little…but in all honesty, I do feel better than I did last night. And I have you to thank for that."

Elsa jokingly rolled her eyes, "Well I wasn't going to let you bleed all over the place…because that would make for a terrible mess that I would _not _want to clean up."

Hans playfully pouted, "You wound me, Elsa."

Elsa laughed as Hans looked around and admired the beauty of nature after the rain, he sauntered over to the edge of the cliff and softly recited, "Your love comforts me like sunshine after the rain. If you admire the rainbow after the rain then, why not love again after the pain?"

Elsa raised her eyebrows in surprise, "Hans?"

He kept his intense stare over the scenery, "It's something my mother used to say to me after every rainstorm…"

Elsa smiled, "Your mother seemed like a wonderful person."

He nodded, "You and Anna remind me a lot of her…"

Elsa raised her eyebrows, "Really? How so?"

Hans continued staring off into the distance, "Well, at a younger age, my mother shared the same characteristics as Anna; free-spirited, loving, playful, optimistic, fearless, feisty, and kind-hearted. Perhaps that's what captivated me when I first met Anna. But, anyways, once she realized that I was being treated badly by my brothers, she became more like you; protective, regal, elegant, fierce, powerful, caring, reserved. She decided it was time for her to grow up and step in more, I suppose."

Elsa looked at Hans, "Why did you're brothers treat you so poorly? There must be a reason."

Hans looked down at Elsa, his eyes meeting hers, "A number of reasons actually; I was the youngest, I was the "unlucky thirteenth" child, I wasn't supposed to be born…I was a mistake. Probably one of the biggest reasons was that I was very close to my mother, and being too close to your mother apparently makes you seem weak as a man or as a son…therefore I was picked on a lot."

Elsa frowned, "There is absolutely no logic in that reasoning."

Hans shook his head, "My brothers are anything but logical or reasonable…which is what worries me about going to see Kendrick."

Elsa expression softened, "You don't have to see him; we can just go to Eir's place, get the antidote, and jump on the next ship to Arendelle-"

Hans looked away, "It's something that I need to do. I don't know why, but I feel like I need to confront my brother."

Elsa and Hans heard the troop stir and decided to end their conversation there. They turned towards the troop and made their way over to the group as they slowly woke up and got their things together. In about five minutes, they were back on the road again.

* * *

After a silent five hour hike, the troop spotted the village from a short distance. Elsa glanced at her scarf that was underneath Hans's shirt and coat; _I sure hope nobody notices me…_

Hans felt her gaze and noticed where she was looking, "Don't worry…I'll protect you."

For the first, his words actually comforted Elsa. Before their journey, Elsa would have spat out, "_I can protect myself_", but now she gave Hans a kind smile, "I know…"

Fortunately for them, it was still morning so not many people were out and about, Hans took account of the lack of people; _probably still hung-over from the night's festivities._

As they made their way to the castle, Hans suddenly stopped walking. Elsa turned around and looked at him with worried eyes, "What's wrong, Hans?"

Hans signaled Elsa to come closer, "The Balembo fruit?"

Elsa gestured her head forward, "Eir's shop is still coming up…we haven't passed it yet."

Hans discreetly nodded, "I know, but…I've been thinking about it and I want you to stay in the village with Eir."

Elsa took a step back, "What?"

Hans put his hand on her shoulder, "I don't want you to meet Kendrick-"

Elsa shrugged his hand off, "Why? Is it that you don't want me to meet your brother _or_ you don't want me to meet your former girlfriend?"

Hans looked dumbfounded, "This has nothing to do with Annaliese-"

Elsa gave him an impish grin, "Good…then we will go visit the King and Queen together as soon as I drop off the ingredient." Then Elsa strode off ahead of everyone else, making sure that nobody in the troop knew where she was headed.

As soon as Elsa turned the corner she tried her best to casually fast walk to Eir's shops as quickly as she could without looking conspicuous. Before she even got a chance to knock, the door swung open and Eir pulled her inside, swiftly locking the door behind her. Eir brought Elsa in for a quick hug, "Elsa, you're back…" She pulled apart from the hug and gave Elsa the once over, "…and in one piece too! That's always a plus! Did you get it?"

Elsa just laughed and held up the fruit, "Yes, I got the Balembo."

Eir squealed and grabbed the fruit, "Perfect! It'll take me about three days to whip up a vial of the antidote, so you and Hans will have to sit tight for a few more days." She quickly stopped what she was doing and looked around the room, "Where's Hans? Is he okay?"

Elsa nodded, "Hans is okay…well not exactly 'okay' we had a little run in with-

Eir walked into her laboratory, "Some bandits who are actually spies for the King?"

Elsa followed her into the other room, "I forgot that you had the power of foresight. But yes, then Hans got clipped with an arrow and was a bloody mess, but I managed to somewhat patch things up."

Eir started pulling out several vials, "You can bring him here and I'll look over what you did."

Elsa started to wring her hands, "Actually, Hans and I were on our way to the castle-

Eir nearly dropped the vial in her hand, "CASTLE?! For the love of all that's good, why would you go to the castle? "

Elsa wore an earnest expression, "Hans needs to confront his brother about _things _and since our cover was blown, we might as well stay in the castle so we can avoid as much trouble as possible…that way you can solely focus on the antidote instead of worrying about our safety."

Eir looked at Elsa and sighed, "Your Majesty, you are positively persuasive when you want to be." Eir cracked a small smile, "Go ahead…just don't have too much fun and forget about little ol' me."

Elsa laughed, "I don't think that's possible." She started for the door, "Thank you, Eir!"

After Elsa left, Eir chuckled to herself, "Well…I didn't see that coming."

* * *

Hans was trying to slow down the troops who wanted nothing more than to get back to the castle so they could eat and drink. He was hoping that they wouldn't realize that they outnumbered Hans and could easily do what they want. Luckily for him, the leader of the troop feared Hans since the knife incident in the forest, so he was not going to be the first one to bring up the idea. The leader casually walked up to Hans, "Sir, I don't mean to pry but why were you and Queen Elsa visiting our forest?"

Hans subtly searched for Elsa, "We originally came to deliver food and supplies for the kingdom…it's a new trade thing the Queen is working on."

The man nodded, "I see…so why were you two trying to avoid King Kendrick?"

Hans looked a bit agitated, "Kendrick is one of my twelve older brothers, all of which treated me poorly when I was a child. Kendrick was one of the worst, though. Therefore, in order to avoid opening old wounds, I figured it would be easier to come and go without seeing him."

The man remained quiet for a moment, then decided to press Hans further, "That doesn't necessarily explain why you and the Queen were in the forest…"

Hans was about to tell the guy to take a long walk off a short cliff until Elsa came trotting up behind him, "Okay, I'm back! Let's get going!"

The man bowed and walked away, "Yes, Queen Elsa."

Elsa felt the tension between Hans and the man, "Is everything alright?"

Hans huffed, "Some people just need to learn to keep their nose out of other people's business."

Before they knew it, the troop was walking through the castle's large steel gates into a very depressing courtyard. Elsa felt a chill go down her spine, "This place is anything _but_ friendly."

The palace guards looked at the two foreigners with steely gazes and unwelcoming expressions. Hans sarcastically commented, "I heard Sperca was one of the most hospitable kingdoms around these parts."

Elsa covered her mouth in order to hold in a laugh, "Be nice, Hans." He said nothing in response, but instead he wore a smug expression on his face.

The troop came to a stop as Elsa and Hans stepped up front and center. Everything was very quiet and still, until a handsome young man came down the steps. He was definitely around Hans's age, tall, broad shoulders, chiseled facial features, dark brown hair that was neatly combed back, a little bit of facial hair on and around his chin giving him a roguish look, and deep chocolate brown eyes to finish the ensemble. Elsa raised an eyebrow; _that cannot be Kendrick could it? He doesn't have the genetic sideburns that Hans has…nevertheless he is very handsome._

The man stood before Hans and Elsa with a complacent expression, "Captain, who are these people?"

The leader of the troop walked over, "Sir, this is Queen Elsa of Arendelle and-"

Hans interrupted before the Captain could reveal his true identity, "Her servant…sir." Hans politely bowed.

The man briefly acknowledged Hans because his eye were transfixed upon the beautiful Queen of Arendelle, "My name is William, and I am the royal advisor to King Kendrick." William respectfully bowed to Elsa, "It is a pleasure to meet you Queen Elsa."

Elsa slightly bowed her head, "Thank you…I wish to speak with King Kendrick about trade alliances and other matters, if he is available."

William seemed a bit embarrassed, "My apologize, Queen Elsa, but I'm afraid that the King is still asleep…he, uh…he had a _long _night."

Elsa curtly looked up at the castle, "Is he hung-over?"

William shifted uncomfortably, "Ah…yes. But I can offer you and your servant a room in the castle if you wish to stay a few nights?"

Elsa softened her expression, "Very well, then. Thank you, William."

William smiled a very charming smile, "My pleasure, Queen Elsa."

While all this was happening, Hans tried so hard to keep himself from gagging over how hard this man was trying to flirt with Elsa. Eventually, when they climbed up the steps, leading to the inside of the castle, Hans managed to sneak a childish eye roll behind William's back. Elsa caught the eye roll and playfully slapped Hans's arm, signaling him to remain on his best behavior.

As they made their way through the corridors, William continued to talk about the castle's history, artwork, artifacts, etc. Hans honestly couldn't care less, but Elsa tried hard to remain interested and engaged with the conversation, "You seem to know a whole lot about this castle, how long have you've been working here?"

William looked around the halls, "All my life…my mother started off as a cleaning maid here but now she is currently a lady's maid to Queen Annaliese. This castle is where I grew up…this is the only place I've ever been."

Elsa thoughtfully looked at him, "You didn't go outside and play with the other boys in the village?"

William shook his head, "By the time I was born, the revolution was slowly starting up, and my mother wanted to avoid any sort of trouble so she just kept me here. It is just as dangerous for a castle maid or footman to step foot outside these castle walls as it is for any monarch."

Elsa's eyes met his, "That's terrible…did you have anyone to play with? Friends, siblings?

William sadly looked down, "Nope…I'm an only child. And no other children were raised here, either. What about you, do you have any siblings?"

Elsa smiled, "Just one, my younger sister Anna."

William smiled, "Well one is better than none, right?"

By this point they had reached the guest bedroom for Hans and Elsa. William unlocked the door and held it open for the Queen, "Queen Elsa, if there is anything that you need, feel free to ask me at anytime."

As Elsa and Hans stepped into the room, Elsa looked back and nodded, "I will…thank you, William." With one more polite bow, William was dismissed.

Elsa closed the door as Hans dejectedly sat on the bed, "You forgot didn't you?"

Elsa leaned against the door, "Forgot what?"

Hans took off his coat, revealing the blood stain on his white shirt, "I'm still bleeding, you know after saving _your _life?"

Elsa's jaw dropped in shock; she quickly opened the door and called for William to get a doctor. She closed the door again and looked guiltily over at Hans, "I am so sorry…I feel terrible!

Hans leaned back against the pillows, "No, no…it's fine. I can understand how all that flirting can make a girl's mind turn to mush."

Elsa crossed her arms, "I was not flirting."

Hans teasingly looked over at Elsa, "If you say so…but one thing is for sure, that man has got it bad for you. You could practically see the puppy love blooming in his eyes and drool coming out of his mouth."

Elsa laughed and sat at the edge of the bed, "Play nice, Hans."


	25. Chapter 25

**************Hi Everyone! I'm sorry I've been slow to update but I'm coming up to finals week so I've been really busy with exams and work. But I worked all day Saturday to get this chapter done for you guys! I want to thank you guys for all the reviews and ask you to please keep them coming! Happy Reading! :)**

**************Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**  


**Chapter 25: Hansey**

Before the doctor came into Elsa and Hans's bedroom, Elsa thawed the ice that was previously covering the wound, "I think it would be best if they didn't know about my powers at this time."

Hans looked at her skeptically, "I thought you overcame your fear. "

Elsa slightly shook her head, "It's not about fear; I believe I only need to expose my powers when the situation calls for it."

Hans wasn't able to respond because the doctor knocked on the door, then came into the room. Elsa politely nodded when the doctor acknowledged her and silently stood in the back of the room.

After the doctor cleansed Hans's wound and wrapped him up, he looked at Elsa, "Once his wound closes up, he will need someone to rub this ointment over it three to four times a day until the scarring disappears."

Elsa gratefully smiled, "Of course, thank you, doctor."

The doctor quickly left the room saying how he needed to check on the King. Once Elsa and Hans were alone, Elsa sat at the edge of the bed, "So now what? I don't want to just sit around in a room…I've been doing that all my life."

Hans slowly got to his feet and walked over to one of the large wardrobes, "Well, first I'm going to find a shirt that's not stained in blood." He picked out a pastel green shirt and once he put it on, he rolled up the sleeves to his elbows, "Now, I don't know about you Elsa, but I am definitely hungry so I will be using my keen sense of smell to hunt down the kitchen."

As if on cue, Elsa's stomach growled, "I think I may be joining you on your quest to find the kitchen."

Hans raised his eyebrows when Elsa started for the door, "Aren't you going to change?"

Elsa abruptly stopped and looked down, "Perhaps you're right…I wouldn't want to run into anyone important dressed like this." She crossed the room towards the second large wardrobe, one filled with beautiful dresses, "Please step out of the room while I change, Hans."

Hans feigned shock, "But I let you see me change, so I think that it would only be fair that-"

Elsa looked at Hans and rolled her eyes, "You only changed your shirt and I've already seen you shirtless numerous times."

Hans wiggled his eyebrows, "Did you see anything you liked?"

Elsa began to blush and started to push Hans towards the door, "I didn't even pay much attention, most of the time you were bleeding all over the place so I was distracted."

Hans teasingly grinned, "True…except when we were on the ship. Don't think I didn't notice you checking out my butt when I walked by."

Now Elsa turned bright red, she pushed Hans out of the room and slammed the door in his face, "I did no such thing!"

Hans laughed and yelled through the door, "Busted!"

Elsa decided to give up this losing battle, she knew she was caught. _The one time I ever did something like that, I get busted…lesson learned. _In five minutes, Elsa opened the door and spotted Hans coming down the corridors towards her, "Took you long enough…I already found the kitchen and it smells heavenly!"

Elsa couldn't help but smile at the goofy grin he wore on his face every time she changed into a new outfit that he liked, "Does this look okay?"

Hans eyed her pastel sky blue dress noticing the silk fabric in the design of a strapless gown while the rest of her chest, shoulders and arms were covered with a see-through, whitish-blue lace material. In response, he gave her a low whistle, "You look beautiful, that dress looks absolutely stunning on you…" He frowned when he noticed her hair, "But you put your hair back in a bun."

Elsa and Hans started walking down the hallway, "I'm a queen again, remember? And as a queen, you should put on the best version of yourself when you go out into the world because that is a show of respect to the other people around you."

As Hans saw William stride down the hallway, charmingly smiled and acknowledged Elsa, he muttered, "Or you just wanted to dress up for your new beau…"

* * *

It was about two in the afternoon when Elsa and Hans were summoned into the throne room to meet with King Kendrick and Queen Annaliese. William had walked them to the throne room doors, but asked them to wait outside so he could make sure that the King was presentable. Hans hadn't spoken to Elsa since she invited William to join them for lunch, an invitation he happily accepted, so the two foreigners were silently staring at the large wooden doors. Elsa could sense something was up with Hans, so she took a quick side-glance at him, "Is everything okay? You were very quiet at lunch."

Hans barely nodded, "Everything's fine."

As the throne room doors opened, Elsa stepped in before Hans, "If you say so."

Elsa and Hans walked through the large room, and slowly made their way to a pair of thrones beside each other. In the center, was King Kendrick who shared almost the same visual features as Hans, red hair, green eyes, unique sideburns, but the difference between Kendrick and Hans was that Kendrick modeled a straggly beard, blood-shot eyes, and was definitely several pounds heavier than Hans. On his left sat Queen Annaliese, and as much as Elsa hated to admit it, she was absolutely stunning. Her light brown/ blonde mixed hair was pulled back into a half-up braid that wrapped around the crown of her head, her dazzling blue eyes glistened as bright as the crown on her head, and her overall appearance overflowed of beauty and elegance. As soon as Elsa and Hans were getting close to them, Hans stopped walking and remained a few feet behind Elsa, since it was customary for a servant to do such things. King Kendrick stood up once Elsa stood before him, "Queen Elsa of Arendelle, I welcome you to my kingdom."

Elsa politely bowed her head, "Thank you, King Kendrick."

A creepy smile grew on his face as he looked her up and down, "Now, I was told that you wish to establish some sort of trade-alliance with my kingdom?"

Elsa assertively eyed him, "In some ways, yes…But that was _not _the main reasoning behind my visit to your castle."

Kendrick raised a sleazy eyebrow, "What was the real reason?"

Elsa looked back at Hans, who had been keeping his head low since he entered the room, "My servant wishes to speak to you."

Kendrick laughed, "Why on earth would I waste my precious time with a lowly servant?"

"Because," Hans stepped forward and raised his head, "I'm not just a servant, Kendrick. I am also your brother…"

Annaliese gasped, "Hans?! I-is that really you?"

Kendrick sneered, "Hansey! Where have you been hiding?! Last I heard, father sent you back to Arendelle so you could properly be disposed of. And after everything you did to them, they let you live? Why do I have a hard time believing that?"

Hans held a forceful look, "Queen Elsa and Princess Anna showed me great mercy and sparred me my life. In exchange, I am indebted to work as the Queen's personal servant for the rest of my life."

Kendrick grinned, stepped down the stairs towards Hans, and threw a slimy arm around his shoulder, "No really, Hansey…who did you have to sleep with to get out of this one?"

Hans curtly removed Kendrick's arm, "I did no such thing! I'm not _you_, remember?"

Kendrick eyed Elsa then whispered to Hans, "She is a fine specimen to marvel at, eh Hansey? I hear you and her are sharing a room…how's that going to play out?"

Hans hesitated, "We've spent the night in the same room before _without _anything happening…"

Kendrick's laughed boomed within the throne room walls, "Oh Hansey! You were always such a lady-killer! But you always played cautious when it came to _other _activities…perhaps if you weren't so shy, you might have been the one married to Annaliese."

Annaliese sternly stood up, "Kendrick! That is enough!"

Both Hans and Kendrick shockingly looked at Annaliese as she gestured her hand towards Elsa, "We _do _have royal company here! If Queen Elsa is willing to help our kingdom with supplies, the least you could do is show her and her servant some respect!"

Kendrick grinned at Elsa, "Of course…my apologizes, Queen Elsa, let me make it up to you. Tonight, you and Hansey shall dine with me and my wife at dinner, and then afterwards we can discuss the situation of our trade with drinks and festivities."

Elsa's face showed no emotion, she just curtly nodded, "I will see you and your wife at dinner." She turned to leave the throne room with Hans following closely behind her.

As they approached the door, Kendrick let out one final laugh, "Since when were you so submissive to a woman, Hans?"

As soon as the doors shut behind them, Hans let out an irritated breath and pinched the bridge of his nose, "I was wrong…we shouldn't have come here."

Elsa's face still remained stoic, "Nonsense…that was quite the interesting learning experience."

Hans cautiously looked over at her, "It was?"

Elsa nodded, "I never knew you were such a fan of the ladies."

Hans vigorously shook his head, "I'm not…he made that all up. Sure, I was one of the better looking sons and I had my ways of sweet talking myself out of situations, but I was _never _any sort of play-boy, by any means."

Elsa and Hans stepped inside their bedroom and closed the door. Hans lay down on the bed, "I'm sorry you had to hear all of that, Elsa. I don't know what I was thinking…I thought that I could reach an understanding with him and help him regain the trust and loyalty of his people…but I guess it was a bad idea."

Elsa sat beside Hans, on the other side of the bed, and leaned back against the headboard, "No…your intentions were good, but it seems like your brother just doesn't respect you. He won't listen to you unless you can prove yourself 'worthy' of his respect."

Hans mischievously grinned, "I can always beat the snot out of him again-"

Elsa smirked, "_Without _physically harming your brother."

Hans playfully rolled his eyes, "You're no fun sometimes."

Elsa looked over at Hans, "How's your wound?"

He shrugged, "It hurts, but I sort of expected that when a chunk of my skin got torn off."

Elsa jumped off the bed, "Well, you better relax and get some rest. We have a dinner party to attend tonight."

Hans suspiciously eyed her drifting towards the door, "And where will you be?"

Elsa nonchalantly shrugged, "Oh…out and about…maybe the library, maybe back to the kitchen, who knows?"

Hans began to sit up, "Nope, you're not going anywhere without me. You saw the way my brother was leering at you; I need to be by your side at _all _times."

Elsa smirked, "Now, where have I heard that before?" She walked over to Hans and gently nudged him to lie back down on the bed, "Beside I won't be alone…William will be keeping me company and watching out for me." Elsa hustled to the door and before she closed it, she looked back at Hans, "I'll be back before dinner, feel better Hans."

Once Elsa shut the door, Hans closed his eyes and spat out to no one in particular, "Spending the whole afternoon with William…Why doesn't that necessarily make me feel a whole lot better?"

* * *

Elsa diligently walked towards the library, and inconspicuously tried to find William. During all the drama in the throne room, William and Elsa managed to have a small conversation; "_Your Majesty, I would like to apologize in advance for anything inappropriate that my King has said and will say during this hearing."_

_Elsa nodded slightly, "Thank you William, I had no idea that Hans's brother was such a…"_

_He leaned towards her and whispered, "Creep?"_

_They both quietly laughed, "So how did you get stuck being the King's advisor?"_

_William sighed, "It's a long story, Your Majesty."_

_Elsa looked over at him, "Well, I would like to hear it."_

_William smiled, "Meet me in the library afterwards?"_

_Elsa looked away embarrassed, "I don't know where the library is…"_

_William politely chuckled, "It's okay, just start walking down the hall to the left of your bedroom and I'll catch up with you."_

Elsa tried not to look relieved when she saw William walking towards her, "Queen Elsa, this way to the library…" William opened the door to the library, "Your Majesty…"

Elsa stepped inside, "Thank you, William."

As William closed the door behind them, he lead Elsa to a large fireplace, "Let me get a fire started, it's already getting pretty cold for this time of year."

Once the fire was roaring and the warmth and light engulfed the dark room, Elsa sat on the carpet by the fireplace. William brought over some refreshments for them, "How is Hans doing with his injury?"

Elsa nodded, "I can tell he is in a lot of pain, more than what he is letting on."

William looked down at his drink, "Captain Roberts told me what happened in the forest…I'm so sorry about everything that has happened to you and Hans during your visit here. Sperca used to be a beautiful kingdom, but now…it's more like an eye-sore compared to surrounding kingdoms, like Corona."

Elsa looked iout the window, "The landscape of Sperca is still gorgeous…it's just the people that need a little fixing-up." When William incredulously looked at Elsa she quickly added, "But not you! You seem to be nice and normal -"

William burst out laughing, "I'm just messing with you, Your Majesty! I know that the people here are the source of our problems."

Elsa chuckled, "Isn't that usually the case?"

William scooted a little closer to Elsa, "Your Majesty, I must apologize for lying to you, earlier. My story really isn't that long…I just said that so I can could see you and talk to you again."

Elsa kindly looked at William, "Well, it worked…I'm here."

William cleared his throat, "I heard King Kendrick say something about how after everything Hans did to you and your sister, you let him live…what happened?"

Elsa looked down at her hands, "He left my sister to freeze to death and attempted to kill me, all just to gain the throne of Arendelle."

Williams jaw dropped, "What? But he seems like such a nice guy!"

Elsa nodded, "People are not always what they seem…he's had a hard life, like me."

William tilted his head so he could meet Elsa's eyes, "Let me guess…it's a long story?"

Elsa looked up and held his gaze, "Twenty-one years worth…"

William refilled his and Elsa's glass, "Well, I would like to hear it."

* * *

Annaliese stood outside Hans and Elsa's bedroom; _knock…just knock… _

Annaliese gently knocked on the door, "Queen Elsa? It's Queen Annaliese, are you in there?" When she heard no answer, Annaliese quietly opened the door and stepped inside, but there was no sign of the Arendelle's Queen, just Hans napping on the bed shirtless while his shirt hung by the wardrobe. Annaliese looked around the room and noticed a white shirt soaking in a bucket full of red water; _blood? _She reached into the bucket and gasped when she saw the red blood stain and a huge cut in the shirt. She put the shirt back in the water and tip-toed up to Hans, she noticed that he had a protective hand laying on the wrap around his lower left ribcage; _Oh Hans…what did you get into this time?_

She sat on the bed and reached her hand towards his injury, but in that instant Hans woke up and grabbed her wrist, "What are you doing?"

Annaliese jumped and pulled her hand away, "I just came to talk to Queen Elsa, but apparently she's not in here."

Hans rubbed his eyes and sat up, "Yeah no, she went off exploring with William…"

Annaliese raised her eyebrows, "And you didn't go with her?"

Hans let out an irritated breath, "Why would she want _me _to join her on her date with pretty boy?"

Annaliese laughed, "William is a good man, probably one of the few left in this God forsaken kingdom…"

Hans sneered, "Of course he is…"

Annaliese looked down at his injury, "What happened?"

Hans sarcastically laughed, "Well thanks to your husband, some of your guards tried to kill Queen Elsa and me while we were in the forest. Luckily for us, this wound was the only casualty in the attack."

Annaliese looked Hans in the eye, "I'm sorry…"

Hans kindly smiled and put a gentle hand on her shoulder, "It's not your fault…" Annaliese gave Hans a curious look, "What?"

She leaned closer to him, "There's something different about you."

Hans roguishly grinned, "Taller? Hotter?"

Annaliese put a delicate hand along his jaw line, "Older."

Hans looked deeply into her kind blue eyes, "…It's been a long five years."

* * *

William was fully absorbed in Elsa's story; by this point Elsa was up to the part when she was eight and had to shut Anna out of her life. But what William didn't know was that Elsa had left out the part of her having ice powers, "Wait, so why did you shut out your sister?"

Elsa began to wring her hands, "I keep my distance from a lot of people; not that I think I'm better, it's just we're going in two different directions."

William shook his head, "But she's your sister…"

Elsa's heart began to beat faster, "Everything I did was to protect her-"

William furrowed his brows, "From what?"

Elsa looked into the fire, "From me!"

William was silent for a moment, then he gently put a hand on hers, "Your Majesty, I have a feeling that you're not telling me everything."

Elsa looked down at his warm hand on hers, "I have ice powers that sometimes I can't control when I'm overcome with emotions…fear is my worst enemy."

William looked down at her hands, "Ice powers? Can you show me?"

Elsa sighed; she raised her hand and rubbed her fingers together then flicked her fingers upward, releasing a few small snowflakes. She smirked when William's eyes light up with amazement, "See?"

He admiringly looked at her, "Now I understand…you sacrificed your way of life for your sister's safety. That was very honorable…"

Elsa solemnly smiled, and then she continued her story…

* * *

"So you and Queen Elsa met a witch doctor here in Sperca that can create an all-healing antidote?"

Hans nodded, "Yes, we need the antidote because Princess Anna's possible future husband is dying from the plague as we speak."

Annaliese nodded, "When will you be leaving?"

Hans shrugged, "I'm not sure…Elsa hasn't told me the latest news regarding Eir."

Annaliese intertwined her fingers with Hans's, "I'm proud of you, Hans…volunteering to risk your life in order to protect Elsa. You are definitely reverting back to the same Hans that I grew up with, the one that followed in the footsteps of his mother."

Hans smiled, "I sure hope so…Elsa has made me become a better person, she's helped me overcome my past and the fears that once controlled me. She's taught me to feel again."

Annaliese ran a finger down his jaw line and leaned in, "Oh yeah?"

Hans's eyes looked back and forth between Annaliese's eyes and her soft lips that were slowly approaching his, "…Yeah…"

When Annaliese was only a breath away from Hans, she whispered, "Can I just say something crazy?"

Hans smirked, "I love crazy."

Annaliese smiled, "I think I still may be in love with you."

They both closed their eyes as their lips met in a rough-longing kiss, as if they both missed the feeling of the other's lips against their own. As they continued their kiss, Annaliese cupped Hans's face in her hands and Hans put a gently hand in the nape of her neck, until he suddenly pulled away, "This isn't right…"

Annaliese gave him a funny look, "What's wrong?"

Hans grabbed her wrists and took her hands off of him, "You're a married woman and a queen…"

Annaliese looked down, "You're right…I apologize, I shouldn't have put you in that situation. It's just…I wish that things were back to being the same as they were five years ago."

Hans looked at the clock, "What time is dinner?"

Annaliese stood up, "Seven o'clock."

Hans slowly got out of bed, "It's nearly six thirty…I wonder where Elsa is?"

Annaliese walked to the door, "I'm sure she's fine…she seems like a responsible person."

Hans started towards the wardrobe, "I'm not worried about her behavior, I'm worried about the behavior of who she is with."

Annaliese nodded and opened the door, "You two would make a lovely couple…I'll see you at dinner, Hans." Then she left.

Hans looked in the mirror and ran a hand through his hair, "I just wish someone would tell _her_ that."

* * *

Elsa and William were finishing up their conversation as they walked back to Elsa's bedroom, "So now, Hans is to work as my personal servant for the rest of his life, in exchange for his crimes."

William nodded, "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer, right?"

Elsa thought about it, "Yeah…I guess you could say that."

Once they reached the door, William smiled at Elsa, "Thank you for spending the afternoon with me, Queen Elsa. It was easily one of the best afternoons of my life."

Elsa laughed, "Well then I am honored to have been a part of it."

William bowed, "Dinner is at seven o'clock…" He daringly kissed the top of her hand, "Your Majesty."

Elsa blushed, "I'll be there." She watched him walk down the hall as he gave her one final wave before turning the corner. Once Elsa stepped into her bedroom and closed the door, she sighed. Hans was standing by the window, looking out over the enchanting landscape, "Did you have fun on your date?"

Elsa crossed her arms, "It wasn't a date…William and I just talked the entire time."

Hans looked over at Elsa, "Mhmm…sure. And that's why your cheeks are all red, right?"

Elsa rolled her eyes, "I don't need to explain myself…I don't answer to you."

Hans looked back out the window, "So what did you two talk about?"

Elsa started fixing her hair, "None of your business."

Hans sarcastically laughed, "Yeah, see…when you say things like that, it makes me think otherwise."

Elsa looked at Hans over her shoulder, "You're right…William and I couldn't control ourselves so we rushed to his bedchambers and made love right there."

Hans turned around and faced her, "You're not serious, are you?!"

Elsa laughed at his fuming expression, "Of course not! Like I said…we just talked."

Hans crossed his arms, "Hmmp!"

Elsa coyly walked up to Hans, "Your acting like your jealous…are you?"

Hans leaned back against the window and smirked, "Me? Jealous of William? Ha! No way! Why, on earth, would I be jealous of a man whose job is to serve my repulsive brother twenty-four seven?"

Elsa shrugged, "I don't know…he is definitely handsome. And kind, very kind-"

Hans rolled his eyes, "Yes, everyone seems to think he is God's gift of kindness to the world!"

Elsa wore a smug look, "I knew it! You _are _jealous!" Elsa noticed that his hair was ruffled and his clothes were a little rumpled, "And what were you up to when I was gone?"

Hans nonchalantly shrugged, "Oh you know…slept, rested, relaxed…just like the doctor ordered."

Elsa peered closer at him and gasped, "I don't believe you! After you interrogated me about my afternoon, you where here the whole time getting it on with Annaliese!"

Hans furrowed his brow and pointed an incredulous finger at her, "I did no such thing!"

Elsa crossed her arms, "You smell like her perfume…I passed her in the hallway and recognize the scent."

Hans lifted up his hands in desperation, "Okay, yes, she was in here, but, no, I did not do anything with her!"

Elsa wiped her finger across his lip, "So this isn't her lipstick?"

As Hans was about to explain, there was a knock on the door, "Queen Elsa, it is five till seven…are you ready for dinner?"

Elsa gave Hans one final hard look before going to the door, "Yes, we are ready."


	26. Chapter 26

**************Hey Guys! I know, I know...it's been a while. I've been really busy with school with finals week coming up, but I want to thank everyone for your kind reviews. Please keep reviewing and enjoy the next chapter. Happy Reading! :)**

**************Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**  


**Chapter 26: A Complicated Friendship**

The walk to the dining hall was especially icy and to make matters worse, since Elsa and Hans were the guests, they had to wait in the dining hall for the King and Queen. Elsa and Hans sat across from each other, at the table, and Hans couldn't stand Elsa being upset with him, "Elsa, I'm sorry-"

She curtly cut him off, "It's Queen Elsa, to you, or Your Majesty…one of those two will work just fine."

Hans sighed, "We're back to that again?" When she didn't answer, he ran a hand through his hair, "Fine…Your Majesty, I'm sorry I lied to you about Annaliese, but please believe me when I say that _nothing_ happened."

She shot an icy glare at him, "That's not what your ruffled hair, rumpled clothes, and lipstick residue says."

Hans leaned forward, "Okay, yeah we kissed, but that was the end of it. I kept my clothes on and she kept her clothes on. It was just an innocent kiss! Why would you care anyways since you and William obviously have something going on?"

Elsa leaned forward on the table, "I care because you are a part of _my _staff; you represent Arendelle, and if you are going around making out with queens from other countries, then that makes _my _kingdom look bad!"

Hans looked down, "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I didn't think about it like that."

The rest of the dinner was very uneventful once Kendrick and Annaliese showed up. They all conversed in appropriate small talk and discussed a few terms of the Arendelle-Sperca trade alliance. Fortunately for Hans, the dinner and trade agreement gave Elsa a long enough time to even out her temper. Once the actual dinner part of the evening was over, the group of four moved into the parlor. Kendrick held out his arm for his wife, "I have a surprise for you, Annaliese."

Annaliese took his arm, "Really? What is it?"

As the door opened to the parlor, Annaliese gasped, "A live string quartet? How did you know I loved those?"

Kendrick grinned, "Geez Annaliese, I _am _married to you…I know what you like and what you don't like."

Elsa's reaction was not as thrilled; _A live string quartet? How did he know I can't dance? This evening has gone from bad to worse._

Once everyone got into the parlor, Kendrick signaled the group to start playing, "After all, this is supposed to be a party, celebrating our new trade alliance!"

As the musicians started playing, Kendrick and Annaliese began their waltz. Elsa uneasily watched as they gracefully dance around the room and made it look so easy. Hans cleared his throat, "Queen Elsa," He held out his hand and bowed, "May I have this dance?"

Elsa shook her head and timidly took a step back, "I don't know how to dance, Hans."

Hans kindly smiled and daringly reached for her right hand, "I can teach you." He placed her left hand on his shoulder and then gently placed his right hand on her waist, "You're blushing…"

Elsa cleared her throat, "I just don't want to make myself look like a fool."

Hans thoughtfully smiled, "Your Majesty, as long as you have a partner that knows what they are doing, then you will never look like a fool."

Elsa cracked a small smile, "Then I sure hope you know what you are doing."

Hans playfully winked, "You just have to trust me. Now, as I step forward with my left, you are going to step backwards with your right foot. Good! Then move your left foot to meet with your right, but now you're going to also step to the left with your left foot. Okay, now step forward with your left and bring your right foot to come meet it, then step to the right with your right foot. There you go! And that right there is known as the simple box step."

Elsa looked up at him confused, "That's it?"

Hans chuckled, "That's it."

Elsa nodded, "Okay, let's try it again."

For the next two hours Hans taught Elsa more and more intricate dance moves. They laughed the few times Elsa accidently stepped on his foot and they celebrated the times Elsa successfully completed a dance without incident. It was around ten thirty when the live music had to take a break, so everyone sat on the sofas and socialized with their drinks.

Kendrick drunkenly looked at Elsa, "So… how long have you and Hansey been a couple?'"

Elsa definitely couldn't hide the shock on her face, "…Hans and I are not a couple. He is just simply my servant and nothing more."

Hans playfully pouted, "We're not even friends?"

Elsa smirked, "It's complicated."

Kendrick finished off his fifth drink, "It's only as complicated as you make it."

Elsa and Hans looked at each other and shared a surprised look at Kendrick's wise words. But no more than five seconds later, Kendrick knocked out. Annaliese signaled for William to come and take him back to their bedroom, "I'll be right back as soon as he gets to bed." Elsa and Hans nodded as Annaliese and William left with the passed out king.

Hans looked at the drink in Elsa's hand, "Can I get you a refill, Elsa?"

Elsa smiled, "Sure, why not?"

Hans refilled both their drinks and then rose his glass, "To new beginnings!"

Elsa raised her glass, "To a less complicated friendship!"

They clanked their glasses together and took a long drink. Hans noticed that the string quartet had returned, "Care for another dance?"

Elsa finished off her drink, "I don't see why not."

Hans stood up and offered her his hand, "Milady?"

Elsa laughed and took his hand, "Thank you kind sir."

As they music started playing a soft romantic melody, Elsa rested her head against his chest and the two just swayed back and forth with the music. They stayed like that until the musicians were finished and even after they left, Hans and Elsa continued swaying. Elsa looked up at Hans, "The music ended."

Hans smiled down at her, "Really? I can still hear them…" Hans started to hum a lovely melody.

Elsa giggled, "Perhaps we should take this outside?"

Hans twirled Elsa around and lead her out onto the balcony, "As you wish."

They sat on the railing and just looked up at the stars and moon. Elsa sighed, "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Hans tenderly looked at Elsa, "Yes."

Elsa blushed when she realized that he was talking about her. She scooted closer and looked up, "What do you think about when you gaze up at the stars?"

Hans scooted closer and looked up, "Usually my mother…I know she's looking down on me, watching me…you?"

Elsa sighed, "My parents…I always wondered that if they were still alive, would they approve of the person that I have become…" _But now I know the answer to that…_

Hans gently took hold of Elsa's hand, "I don't see how they could be anything but proud of you, Elsa. You are a fine ruler, and an even better person."

Elsa smiled; she looked at Hans with a thoughtful face, "What about you?"

Hans looked at her with a blank face, "Hmm?"

Elsa looked up at the stars, "What would your mother think of you if she was still alive?"

Hans hesitated, "If she was still alive, then I probably wouldn't have turned into the monster that I am…"

Elsa absentmindedly cut him off, "Were…"

Hans raised his eyebrows, "Pardon?"

Elsa looked back at Hans with a kind expression, "The monster that you were…you've changed, Hans, for the better. "

Hans guiltily looked down, "But is it enough to make up for what I did to you and Anna?"

Elsa thoughtfully shook her head, "No…you still have a long ways to go, but you're on the right track."

Hans looked up at her with a sense of gratitude, "Thank you, Elsa."

Elsa raised her eyebrows, "For what?"

Hans gave her hand a gentle squeeze, "For thawing my frozen heart."

Elsa looked down and realized for the first time how nice it was to have Hans with her on this journey. She realized that without him, this journey could have been much different. She thought back to when he protected her when the wagon exploded, how he saved her life back in the forest, how he was willing to go anywhere she went just so he could protect her. Elsa looked at his hand holding hers, and without any warning her heart began to beat faster and butterflies began to form in her stomach. She quickly let go of his hand, "It's getting late…we should go to bed."

Hans nodded, "You're probably right." They began to walk back to their room, "When will we be heading back to Arendelle?"

"Eir said that we had to wait three days for the antidote…one down, two more to go."

As they entered the room Hans looked at the single bed, "I'll sleep on the sofa."

Elsa gave him a concerned expression, "Are you sure? Because technically you're still recovering-"

Hans started walking towards the sofa, "Elsa, I'll be fine. You're the queen, you deserve the bed."

Elsa nodded and silently got ready for bed. She decided to sleep in her dress because she didn't feel comfortable wearing a night gown with Hans in the same room. By the time she got under the covers it was about midnight, "Goodnight Hans."

Hans fidgeted on the sofa until he found his comfy spot, "Goodnight Elsa."

* * *

The next morning, Elsa and Hans were alone at the breakfast table, while the King tried to sleep off his hangover. They didn't say much as they ate, but once they finished Hans leaned back in his chair and gave Elsa a curious look, "You never told me about the Balembo fruit."

Elsa refilled her glass of water, "Pardon?"

Hans took the pitcher of water from Elsa and refilled his glass, "The Balembo fruit? How'd you get it anyways? Did you have to battle some sort of monster with your ice powers?"

Elsa giggled, "No, no, no…nothing like that."

Hans leaned forward with his elbows on the table, "Then why were you the _only_ person allowed to find it?"

Elsa slowly brought the glass to her lips, "Let's just say that it was my destiny to discover the fruit."

Hans raised a suspicious eyebrow, "So you're not going to tell me?"

Elsa took an extra long sip of her water, "…nope."

They stopped their conversation as William walked into the dining room and bowed, "Good morning, Queen Elsa. Good morning, Sir Hans."

Elsa kindly smiled and nodded, "Good morning, William."

Hans gave him a less enthusiastic smile, "William…"

William straightened his shoulders, "Queen Annaliese sent me in here to let you know that you two are free to explore and roam the castle, but please, under any circumstance, do not leave the castle gates."

Hans suspiciously raised an eyebrow, "Why? Has something happened?"

William tiredly sighed, "The people of Sperca have been extra rebellious lately, our guess is because they somehow found out about you two."

Hans looked at him skeptically, and just as he was about to say something, Elsa cut him off, "We shall do what Queen Annaliese requests…thank you, William."

William bowed, "My pleasure, Queen Elsa." Then he strode out of the room.

Elsa looked at Hans and noticed a concerned expression on his face, "So…what are we going to do today, Hans?"

Hans snapped out of whatever he was thinking about and gave her an adventurous smile, "Well you heard the man…let's go exploring!"

Elsa laughed as Hans excitedly jumped up and grabbed her hand, "You remind me of my sister."

Hans shrugged, "Well if there's one thing I learned from Anna, it's that you have to embrace life and whatever situations it may throw at you."

Elsa smiled, but she stopped walking, "I hope she's doing okay…"

Hans gave her hand a gentle squeeze, "She'll be fine, Elsa…Anna's a strong young woman."

Elsa let go of his hand and walked to a window overlooking the ocean, "I know it's just…the man she loves is dying before her eyes and we're her only hope in saving him. And yet, we're here, running around, acting like we're on some sort of vacation."

Hans came up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder, "Elsa, we did our job, now it's time for us to let Eir do hers. I guess technically we _are _on vacation until tomorrow, so let's go have some fun! Can you do that?"

Elsa turned around and looked up at Hans, "Do what?"

Hans had a challenging look in his eyes, "Let yourself have fun for one whole day?"

Elsa smirked, "I think I can manage."

* * *

By two in the afternoon, Hans and Elsa explored almost every room in the castle; they strolled through the castle gardens, danced in the grand ballroom, snatched some chocolates from the kitchen, read aloud to each other in the library, marveled at the artwork in the hallways, played with the animals in the stables, and they were approaching one of the few rooms that they hadn't explored yet. Hans opened the door for Elsa, "I wonder what's in here?"

Elsa stepped inside and gasped, "Hans, this is the armory…should we even be in here?"

Hans walked in behind her and shut the door, "Well, according to William, Annaliese said we can go anywhere within the castle. So I guess that means its okay for us to be in here."

Elsa peered closely at one of the suits of armor, "Perhaps it would be okay as long as we don't touch anything." Elsa heard a noise behind her, so she quickly turned around to discover Hans taking a sword off the wall, "Hans! What did I just say?!"

Hans shrugged, "Hey I never agreed to that, besides…" He took a second sword off the wall, "Perhaps this would be a good time to give you a quick lesson in sword fighting."

As Hans strode over to Elsa and offered her a sword, she stubbornly crossed her arms, "I don't need a sword to fight…I have my own ways of defending myself."

Hans strapped one of the swords to his side, "What happened to only revealing your powers when the situation called for it?"

Elsa rolled her eyes, "If I need to use a sword, then that means that the situation would also call for me to use my powers, therefore, a sword would be pointless."

Hans seriously looked her in the eye, "Well, what if you needed to use it to threaten someone?"

Elsa shook her head, "I don't think so…"

Hans teasingly waved the sword in front of her face, "You could teach Anna when you get back to Arendelle, imagine how amazed she would be to find out that her sister could defend herself with a mortal weapon…or I guess _I _could just teach her one-on-one-"

Elsa swiftly grabbed the sword from Hans, "Give me that! There is no way I'm letting you hang around Anna, one-on-one, with a sword."

Hans chuckled, "Okay, so here's the basic anatomy of a sword; what you're holding right now is called the hilt, and this is obviously the blade-"

Elsa threatening point the sword at Hans, "I know what is what…teach me how to fight, pretty boy."

Hans stepped back and raised his sword, "Oh you did _not_ just go there…"

Elsa teasingly slid her blade up and down the blade of Hans's sword, "But I did."

Hans swung his sword at Elsa, but she easily blocked it, "Something tells me that you're not as inexperienced as I thought."

Elsa smirked as Hans swung his sword again, and she deflected his blows with ease, "I may or may not have played with my father's sword when I was growing up. In case I ended up losing my powers, I wanted to know how to defend myself, or Anna."

Now Elsa fought back on the offense, as Hans skillfully defended himself, "I must say that I am impressed, Elsa. But how is your footwork?"

Hans began to slowly circle Elsa as she mirrored his steps, "You should probably know that I wasn't lying about not knowing how to dance…" Elsa swung her sword upward, gracefully spun around, and swung the sword back down on Hans, forcing him to go down on a knee as he blocked her blows, "But your little dance lesson last night sure helped."

Hans scoffed, "Well then next time I'll think twice before helping a damsel in distress."

Elsa smirked, "So do you wish to surrender?"

Hans chuckled, "You don't know _all_ my tricks, Elsa." He forcefully pushed up his sword with all his might, causing Elsa to stagger back. He somersault to the right and landed on his feet, "I'm not going to go easy on you this time."

For the next several minutes Hans and Elsa skillfully traded off between offensive and defensive maneuvers. Hans was beginning to sweat, but Elsa looked as cool as a cucumber; _that's right…I forgot she doesn't sweat._

Hans managed to disarm Elsa with an expertly quick swirl and flick of his sword. By defensive impulse, Elsa released a short blast of icicles at Hans, who quickly leaped over the spikes and instinctively stabbed the sword through her dress and into the flooring, trapping her to one spot. In response, Elsa leg-swept Hans and forcefully pulled on her dress, ripping a part of it off, as she grabbed her sword and thrust it into Hans's side.

Elsa gasped as Hans's body collapsed, "Oh my goodness! Hans are you okay?!" She ran over to Hans and held his head in her lap, "I'm so sorry! I didn't think it would go this far! Hans speak to me!"

Hans looked at Elsa with wide eyes, "Elsa, I need you to promise me something…"

Tears began to form in Elsa's eyes, "Anything, I promise."

Hans dramatically reached up and touched Elsa's face, "Promise me that you'll work on your aim…"

Elsa pulled away and accidentally dropped his head, "What?"

Hans gave Elsa a wicked grin and started laughing. He lifted his right arm, revealing that the sword was trapped underneath his armpit, instead of in his side, "You need to work on your aim a little more. Although I'll be the first to admit that I'm glad you missed this time." He swiftly pounced on Elsa and pulled out a knife that he always kept in his boot, "I win."

Elsa was breathing hard, "You jerk! You made me think I killed you!"

Hans was also breathing hard, as little beads of sweat formed on his brow he rubbed his head, "Hey that hurt by the way."

Elsa squirmed underneath his weight, "You cheated!"

Hans scoffed, "So did you! What was up with the icicles?! You could have really killed me!"

Elsa apologetically looked at him, "Sorry…force of habit."

Hans rolled off of Elsa and helped her up. He noticed that her hair was beginning to fall out of her bun, and more importantly, her dress was torn, revealing a good portion of her leg, "Sorry about the dress…perhaps I, too, went a little far. Survival instincts, what can I say?"

Elsa nodded, "So I guess we're even?"

Hans shook his head, "I don't think so…I won, right? So what's my prize?"

Elsa thawed her icicles, "We never agreed on a prize…this was supposed to be a quick lesson, remember?"

Hans chuckled as he pulled the sword out of the floor and picked up fragments of Elsa's dress, "That was before I knew you were a trained swordsman."

Elsa put her sword back on the wall, "Not trained…self taught."

Hans came up behind her and also placed his sword back on the wall, "Again…I'm impressed."

Elsa turned around to face Hans causing her to back up against the wall, "Thank you. Now, I don't want you telling _anyone_ about what you saw today. I like to keep some secrets to myself."

Hans seriously looked down at her, "Does Anna know?"

Elsa guiltily looked away, "No…I feared that if she knew then she would try to teach herself, because obviously my parents were not going to teach her, and being that she was always so clumsy I didn't want her hurting herself."

Hans tilted his head so his eyes could meet hers, "Elsa, Anna's not as clumsy as one would think. She's a good dancer, very light on her feet. Her strength and hand-eye coordination is also impressive; I should know I had a first-hand experience with her fist."

Elsa giggled, "Easily one of the best moments of my life-"

Hans jokingly took offense, "Hey!"

Elsa rolled her eyes, "What? I think you deserved it."

Hans solemnly looked at her, "I did. Actually, I deserved a lot worse than a broken nose."

Elsa thoughtfully smiled, "Perhaps, but it's too late to change what's happened. Your past mistakes are meant to guide you, not define you." Elsa awkwardly scooted away from Hans and walked towards the door, "You might want to clean yourself up a bit…you're all sweaty."

Hans grinned and jogged after her, "You know…some women find that attractive."

Elsa scoffed, "I doubt it."

Hans teasingly whispered in her ear, "Under special circumstances they do."

Elsa blushed and swatted Hans's arm, "You are positively primeval, Hans."


	27. Chapter 27

**************Hi Everyone! Hope you all are doing well! Thank you for continuing to read and review for my story, I know I haven't done a lot of updates recently but that will change soon, I promise. Please enjoy the next chapter and continue to review! Happy Reading! :)**

**************Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**

**Chapter 27: When I'm Gone**

As Hans and Elsa were getting ready for bed that night, they decided that it would be a good idea to pack up their things for tomorrow because, hopefully, tomorrow night they will be on their way home. Hans watched Elsa happily hum to herself as she hung up the traveling clothes that Eir lent her, "Well you seem to be in a good mood…can this possibly have to do with the fact that we're going home tomorrow?"

Elsa sighed, "I'll be relieved once we pull into the Arendelle docks in three nights time. I want to give the antidote to Kristoff as soon as possible; we don't even know how long it will take to actually cure him."

Hans leaned back on the sofa, "I'm sure he'll be fine…we've only been gone about eight days. I figure Kristoff has easily a good month, month and a half maybe, left without the antidote."

Elsa walked to her wardrobe, "Less than a month, actually…"

Hans quickly sat up, "What? How do you know that?"

"Because…" Elsa remembered that her parents told her to _never _mention what she experienced on her quest for the Balembo fruit, "…I talked to the doctor before I left. When I asked him about Eir, he gave me a rough estimate that Kristoff had about a month by the time we left."

Hans fell back against the sofa, "Oh…for a minute there you seemed really sure of yourself. Anyways, we still have at least another two weeks before the end of the month. What can go wrong?"

Elsa pulled out her riding boots and placed them by the rest of her clothes, "I don't know, but I certainly wouldn't want to jinx anything."

Hans sensed Elsa's uneasiness, "Well, on a happier note, I had a lot of fun with you today, Elsa. You know besides you almost killing me."

Elsa laughed, "It was an accident! Besides, you started it! I didn't even _want _to play with the swords, it was you who took them off the wall and practically forced me to duel with you."

Hans teasing shook his head, "Tsk, tsk…Elsa, I can't force you to do anything you don't want to do. You caved to my persistence because deep down you _wanted _to duel with me, what your intentions were is what I don't know."

Elsa turned to face him, "What are you even talking about?"

Hans propped up his feet on the table and put his hands behind his head, "Well, did you fight me because you wanted to show off your skills, or because you wanted to let out your aggressions for what I did to you and Anna, or…"

Elsa crossed her arms, "Or?"

Hans brought his hands down, "You wanted to see if I was trustworthy enough to _not _kill you when I had the chance? "

When Elsa didn't answer, Hans nodded, "I figured…did I pass?"

Elsa shook her head, "It wasn't a test-"

Hans crossed his arms, "Elsa, come on, you and I both know that I had the chance to slit your throat but I chose not to-"

Elsa raised her hand, "Let me finish! It wasn't a test to see if you were trustworthy or not, it was a test of skill."

Hans's eyebrows shot up, "Pardon?"

Elsa slowly walked towards him, "I wanted to see your sword fighting skills at their best so I could analyze how dangerous you are with a weapon. With that being said…" Elsa bent over and pulled the knife out of his boot, "You won't be needing _this_ anymore."

Hans put his hand on her arm, "Elsa, I can explain…"

Elsa pulled her arm away from his grasp, "I always had a feeling that you carried more than just a sword. Is there anything else I should know about?"

Hans scoffed, "Like I'd tell you."

Elsa threateningly played with the knife, "I would if I were you." Elsa slid the knife up her sleeve then slowly walked behind Hans and placed her hands on his shoulders, "You've seen me at my best and at my worst, Hans. You _know _what my powers are capable of…"

Elsa slowly froze Hans's shirt, trapping him to the sofa, "What are you doing?!"

Elsa pulled out the knife and brought it close to one of his sideburns, "So…are there anymore weapons on you that I should know about?"

Hans's heart began to beat faster, "NO!"

Elsa inched the knife closer, "Are you sure?"

Hans was beginning to freak out, "Yes! Just please don't touch the sideburns!"

Elsa moved the knife away, "Good." She thawed his shirt, "Now I know your weakness, too."

Hans wrapped a blanket around his shoulders and shivered, "You didn't have to threaten me…you could have asked me like a normal person."

Elsa slid the knife up her sleeve again, "I did ask, but you chose to give me a smart-aleck answer so I went to plan B."

Hans scoffed, "That's plan B?! I'm afraid to ask what's plan C."

Elsa gave him a nonchalant look, "I don't have a plan C, plan B usually works just fine. But even then, most of the time I don't have to go to plan B."

Hans looked at her with admiration, "You scare me, sometimes, Elsa."

Elsa gave Hans a wicked smile, "Good…" She hopped into bed, "Get some rest Hans, who knows what tomorrow may bring."

Hans couldn't help but be smitten by Elsa's spunk; _in a strange sort of way…I found what she did kind of attractive. Elsa's definitely no longer the perfect girl that she portrayed herself to be. She never ceases to amaze me, and I can't help but fall in love with her more and more each day. _

* * *

_Elsa and Anna were sitting across from each other on the floor, by a fireplace. Elsa comfortingly reached over and held her sister's hands, "Anna, how is Kristoff doing?"_

_Anna's usually cheery face seemed worn and tired, "I'm going to be honest, Elsa…he is not doing well. His health is drastically diminishing every day and I don't know how much longer he can last."_

_Elsa scooted over and wrapped a loving arm around her exhausted sister, "I'm sorry Anna…but if all goes well, Hans and I will be back soon with the antidote. You guys just have to hang in there for three more nights. How are you doing?"_

_Anna shrugged and tried to smile, "I'm fine…just drained emotionally and physically. But we can do it, I know we can. I believe that everything will turn out alright."_

_Elsa gave her sister a side hug, "You're so strong and optimistic, how do you do it?"_

_As Anna opened her mouth to answer, the doors burst open, "Anna! Elsa!"_

_Anna's eye widened as she stood up, "Mom? Dad? How is this possible?"_

_Their parents wrapped Anna and Elsa in a warm hug, "You're dreaming Anna, both of you are actually."_

_Anna excitedly looked around between her parents and her sister, "This is amazing! It's like a family reunion!"_

_Their mother laughed, "In a way, yes, I suppose it is!"_

_The late King rested a strong arm on Elsa's shoulder, "Elsa, there is danger afoot for you and Hans. You must leave the castle now."_

_Elsa looked back at her mother and Anna, "Now? Right now?"_

_Anna frowned, "But you guys just got here!"_

_Their father sympathetically looked at his eldest daughter, "Elsa, trust me…you and Hans must sneak out the back and run into the forest. Use the foliage as coverage and double back to retrieve the antidote. If you don't leave now then there will be dire consequences."_

_Anna ran over and gave Elsa a hug, "I'll see you in three days, Elsa. Stay safe, okay?"_

_Elsa nodded, "I will…I promise, Anna."_

_Their mother gave Elsa a farewell hug and gently whispered in her ear, "Elsa…wake up. Please, wake up. It's time to go, you need wake up now."_

Elsa's eyes slowly open and she found Hans standing over her, gently shaking her shoulder, "Elsa, are you awake?"

Elsa blinked several times, "Hans? What's happening? What time is it?"

Hans's eyes were filled with concern, "Elsa we need to go, _now_."

Elsa's dream quickly came back to her, "Right! Okay, let's go!"

Hans outstretched his arms, which held Elsa's traveling pants and shirt, "There's no time to lose, I'll explain as you change." Elsa threw him an uncertain look, "I promise I won't peek, just change as fast as you can."

Elsa grabbed the clothes from him and rushed behind the changing screen, "What's going on Hans?"

Hans briskly walked to the window, "The rebellion has begun…the rebels have stormed the castle, they want to see the end of Kendrick's reign. Unfortunately, you and Annaliese are also in danger, being that both of you are queens. The guards are trying to hold them back for as long as possible, but we need to get out of here to avoid any sort of trouble. I'm hoping that nobody has seen you because as far as I know, they don't know what you look like, so we may have a chance to blend in with the crowd and sneak out that way."

Elsa came out behind the changing screen and jogged over to her boots, "No."

Hans turned around, "No? No, what?"

Elsa sat on the bed and put on her boots, "We're not going to blend in with the crowd, we're going to sneak out the back and run into the forest." She crossed over to the mirror and began to pull her hair back into a tight braid, "From there, we're going to use the foliage as coverage and double back to retrieve the antidote, hopefully Eir will be finished and we can hide out there until the ship is ready to depart for Arendelle."

Hans questionably raised an eyebrow, "And how are you so sure that will work?"

Elsa grabbed her satchel, "Just trust me…"

Hans shook his head, "Elsa, it's not that I don't trust you…I'm just not sure that's such a good idea. If they catch us running then that will blow our cover-

Elsa started for the door, "Eir said a few days ago that our cover was already blown! Hans, we can't blend in with the crowd anymore! There's nothing left to do but run!"

Hans grabbed his satchel and followed her, "Okay…let's go."

Elsa and Hans quietly opened the door and snuck down the hallway. It was still very dark so trying to figure out which hallway to take was especially hard in such an unfamiliar environment. About ten heart pounding minutes later, they found themselves in the kitchen. Hans quickly took a look around, "So…where is the back exit anyways?"

Elsa tip-toed around some pots and pans, "I'm…not sure."

Hans gave Elsa an exasperated look, "Wait…you mean to tell me that you stubbornly forced us to follow your plan, but you have no clue where to go?"

Elsa apologetically looked at Hans, "Yeah I know…but you did the right thing by trusting me." _I hope…_

Both Hans and Elsa froze as they heard yelling come down the castle corridors. Hans hastily walked over to Elsa, "Well, it seems like they got through the guards. Our safety and survival are now up to us."

Elsa looked up at Hans, "What happened to your brother and Annaliese? Are they safe?"

Hans nodded and shrugged at the same time, "I assume so…I think they were the first to evacuate. I haven't heard anything yet…"

Elsa furrowed her brows, "How did you find out about the attack then?"

Hans embarrassingly looked away, "My dream…I had a sort of vision of the attack and as it got more disturbing, I abruptly woke up to the commotion at the front gates."

Elsa's eyebrows shot up, "I had a dream too! I was told to sneak out the back and hide in the forest, and so on. That's why I was so adamant about my plan."

Hans smiled down at her, "You know what that means, Elsa?" Elsa shook her head and leaned close to him, as the yelling grew closer, "It means that your dream completed my dream. I saw the first half and you saw the second half…" Hans cupped her face with his hands, "It may sound corny but, you complete me, Elsa. You are literally my other half and I don't know what's going to happen tonight, but I want you to know that…I love you, Elsa."

Hans suddenly leaned down and passionately kissed her, catching Elsa by surprise, "Hans…I don't know what to say."

Hans touched his forehead to hers and smiled, "Say that you feel the same way, that you love me…"

Elsa put a gentle hand on his cheek, "I'll let you know once we get out of this situation."

There was a brief glimmer of sadness in Hans's eyes, but he just nodded his head and smirked, "Then we better find this back exit."

They checked around the kitchen for any sign of an exit, but came up empty. Hans ran a frustrated hand through his hair, "Elsa, was there anything in your dream that hinted to where we should be checking?"

Elsa rubbed the temple of her head with her fingers, "I'm thinking…" She suddenly looked up at Hans with a look of realization, "Hans! I was in a room with a fireplace…which must mean that there's a secret passage in the library!"

Hans nodded and grabbed her hand, "Great, let's go!"

Surprisingly there didn't seem to be any sign of the rebellion, the hallways were extremely quiet. As they turned the final corner they spotted a group of rebels headed right towards them, "There they are! Stop them!"

Hans and Elsa ran into the library, shut the door, and quickly locked it. Elsa ran towards the fireplace and frantically began searching for some sort of hidden doorway, "I can't find it!"

Hans leaned against the door as the rebels began to bash the door down, "Well, I don't know how much longer this door can hold up."

Hans grabbed a few small bookcases and propped them up against the door, then he ran over to help Elsa, "Hans, are you ready to fight?"

Hans sighed, "I don't have a sword…and you took away my knife. I don't have any powers so, no, I'm not exactly prepared to fight."

Elsa slid out the knife from her sleeve, "Here…take this."

Hans gratefully took back his knife and slid it into his boot, "Thanks."

Elsa ran her hands along all the bricks around the fireplace, "We must be missing something…" She noticed that one of the fireplace tools seemed to be out of place, "Wait a second…" Elsa took the fire pick and found what looked like to be a keyhole. She inserted the pick and a small trap door opened up beside the fireplace, "Found it!"

In that moment the doors burst open and the violent group of rebels ran towards them. Hans sympathetically looked at Elsa, "I forgot to tell you the end of my dream…" Hans pushed Elsa through the door and cut the only rope that held the door open, "You make it out, but I don't."

The door slowly began to close as Hans turned around to face the approaching rebels. Elsa yelled out to him, "No! Hans! We can both make it out!"

Hans protectively stood in front of the door, "I need to lock it from the outside! We used to have these kinds of trap doors back in the Southern Isles castle, I should have known that Kendrick would install one here as well."

Elsa stood by the entrance, "Hans I can't leave you!"

Hans turned around, "Elsa, you told me, before we left Arendelle, that getting back home to Anna safely was your number one priority, and that's exactly what you need to do." He turn toward the group of rebels and pressed some sort of lever on the door, "Now run!"

Once the door closed, Elsa peeked through the keyhole and saw Hans fight off about five men until another group of five came in with crossbows. Elsa covered her mouth to hold back her screams as, one-by-one, the men shot their crossbows at Hans, piercing him in the leg, stomach, shoulder, and finally two in the chest. Hans's bloody body fell heavily against the glass window, which shattered on impact, causing Hans to fall into the waters below.

Elsa was silent as she felt nothing but the rush of adrenaline. Her heart was pounding so fast that she couldn't think straight, the only thing that she could think of was Hans telling her to run, so that's exactly what she did as a trail of ice followed her.

* * *

Anna gasped as she woke up from the chair she was sitting in. She looked over at Kristoff who seemed to be sleeping quite peacefully, which puzzled her. Anna tip-toed up to him and leaned over his body; _okay good, he's still breathing. _Anna bit her lip and began to wring her hands as she walked towards the window; _something isn't right…Elsa's in pain, I can sense it. Something must have happened…oh, I hope she's safe. _Anna stared out at the fjord and thought about the strange dream she had with her parents and Elsa. _"Mom? Dad? How is this possible?...You're dreaming Anna, both of you are actually…Elsa, there is danger afoot for you and Hans. You must leave the castle now…If you don't leave now then there will be dire consequences…I'll see you in three days…"_

Anna took in a deep breath, "Oh, Elsa…please be careful. I don't know what I would do without you."

* * *

Elsa burst into Eir's shop, and to her surprise Eir was sitting at the table with a few vials around her. Eir looked up when Elsa strode into the room, "Elsa! My goodness are you okay child?" She wrapped Elsa in a warm hug, "I heard about the attack on the castle and I was so worried about you and Hans-" She looked around, "Where is Hans?"

Elsa couldn't hold it back anymore, so she burst into tears and sobbed into Eir shoulder, "He's dead! I saw them kill him! It was terrible!"

Eir walked Elsa over to the table and sat her down, "What happened, Elsa? I've been so busy with the antidote…I haven't foreseen anything in a few days."

Elsa held her head in her hands, "We found a secret passageway out of the castle, but it could only be locked by someone on the outside. So Hans pushed me through the trap door and held off the rebels for as long as he could until the door closed. Once it was closed, he pulled a lever which set off the locking mechanism, but by that point…he was shot by five crossbows and his body fell out the window, into the waters below."

Eir gently rubbed Elsa's back, "I'm so sorry, Elsa. I really am…I know how you felt about him."

A single tear rolled down Elsa's cheek, "I think I might have loved him…"

Eir nodded, "I know…even without my gift I could clearly see that you two fancied each other." Eir tilted Elsa's chin up, "Some people are meant to fall in love with each other, but not meant to be together…at some point, you have to realize that some people can stay in your heart, but not in your life."

Elsa solemnly nodded and gestured towards the vials, "Is that the antidote?"

Eir grabbed three medium sized vials and placed them in Elsa's satchel, "Yes…I finished them about half an hour ago. I understand that this may be hard for you, but I need you to leave Sperca right away."

Elsa wiped away a tear, "How soon is 'right away'?"

Eir stood up and walked Elsa to the back door, "Like right now…Elsa the rebels are all in the castle, you're best shot of making it to the docks without being seen is now. I've already forewarned the captain and he has his crew standing by, ready to set sail at any given time."

Elsa gave Eir one final hug, "Thank you for everything, Eir. If you ever want to visit Arendelle, feel free to stop by _any _time."

Eir smiled, "I just may do that, Your Majesty."

Elsa gave her friend a sad smile as she turned and ran towards the docks, via forest. Fortunately for her, Eir was right. The docks were completely empty, very different than what they were when Elsa and Hans first arrived; _Hans…why, Hans, did you insist on coming with me? _Elsa scurried up the gang plank and was greeted by the captain, "Good evening, Your Majesty."

Elsa politely bowed her head, "Captain…let's go."

The captain looked back at the kingdom of Sperca, and then gave Elsa a funny look, "Your Majesty? What about Sir Hans? Will he be returning to Arendelle with us?"

Elsa started to make her way to her room, but turned and kept her most professional face on, "No he will not…Hans is dead. Now let's get out of here before anything else happens."

The captain bowed, "Yes, Your Majesty."

During the entire three day journey, Elsa did not come out of her room at all. She spent her time watching the ocean wave's crash against the boat and reflecting upon the past few days. She felt very lonely without Hans and his snarky comments or his surprising compliments and beautiful poems. It wasn't until the morning of the third day that Elsa stuck her hands in her pockets and realized that there was a paper inside; _what's this?_

She pulled out a nicely folded sheet of paper;

_When I'm Gone_

_When I come to the end of my journey_

_And I travel my last weary mile, _

_Just forget if you can, that I ever frowned_

_And remember only the smile._

_Forget unkind words I have spoken;_

_Remember some good I have done, _

_Forget that I ever had heartache_

_And remember I've had loads of fun._

_Forget that I have stumbled and blundered_

_And sometimes fell by the way._

_Remember I have fought_

_Some hard battles and won, _

_Ere the close of the day._

_Then forget to grieve for my going, _

_I would not have you sad for a day, _

_Back in summer just gather some flowers _

_And remember the place where I lay_

_And come in the evening_

_When the sun paints the sky in the west, _

_Stand for a few moments beside me_

_And remember only my best._

Elsa could hear in the distance the bells from her kingdom approaching but nothing could distract her from this note. She immediately recognized the handwriting to be Hans's and by the end of the note, her tears flowed nonstop for the next several minutes. _"You are literally my other half, and I don't know what's going to happen tonight but I want you to know that I love you, Elsa…Hans, I don't know what to say…Say that you feel the same way, that you love me…" _Elsa folded up the poem and tucked it into her pocket. She remember the brief flash of sadness in Hans's eyes when she told him that she would reveal her answer _after _they got out, "He knew he wasn't going to make it out…" Elsa heard the captain announce their arrival to Arendelle, so she made her way to the door, "Foolish girl! I should have told him back when I had the chance!" Elsa wiped her last tear and readjusted her posture, "The past is in the past…let it go." Then she stepped out on deck.

* * *

From within a very small cottage in the far off woods of Sperca, the King and Queen were living off the grid, "Annaliese! Can you go to the creek to fetch some more water? We're almost out again!"

Annaliese rolled her eyes, "Yes, Kendrick! I'm on my way out the door, as we speak!"

Annaliese trudged through miles of mud and tough terrain until she finally spotted the creek, "Here we are! You are a sight for sore eyes huh?" Just as Annaliese finished filling up her buckets, she noticed that the water was not flowing as well as it usually does, "That's odd…there must be something upstream blocking the current…probably some beavers."

After a steep climb up river, Annaliese dropped her buckets, "Hans?!"

There before her lay Hans's cold dead body, covered in dried up blood. Annaliese ran over to him, "No…no, please no…what about Elsa? What happened to her?" _"So you and Queen Elsa met a witch doctor here in Sperca that can create an all-healing antidote?...Yes, we need the antidote because Princess Anna's possible future husband is dying from the plague as we speak…When will you be leaving?...I'm not sure, Elsa hasn't told me the latest news regarding Eir."_

Annaliese's face lit up, "That's it! Eir! I'll take you to Eir!" She created a sort of sling with her scarf and managed to carry Hans's lifeless body on her back, "Hopefully she still has some of that all-healing antidote left over…"


	28. Chapter 28

**************Hi Guys! I know it's been a while since my last update, but not to worry because I am done with all my finals and I am now on summer break! Yay! So hopefully there won't be such a long break in between chapters for quite some time. I'm sorry that I took so long, being that my last chapter left a pretty big cliffhanger, but I wanted to be sure that this next chapter was going to live up to its expectations. Thank you all for staying with me and being extremely patient with my absence. Please review and enjoy the next chapter! Happy Reading! :)**

**************Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**  


**Chapter 28: Selfless Love**

As soon as Elsa stepped foot through the castle gates, Anna was already running down the stairs to greet her, "Elsa! You're back!"

Elsa genuinely smiled for the first time in three days, as her sister embraced her in a long hug, "Yes, Anna, I'm back…and even better, I have the antidote for Kristoff."

Anna's eyes filled with joyful tears, "Oh my goodness, that's amazing! Thank you, Elsa! Thank you!" She grabbed Elsa's hand and started running towards the castle, "Let's go get the doctor!"

Anna practically dragged Elsa through the castle corridors, "Anna, slow down! I didn't even know you could run this fast!"

As they approached the doctor's office, Anna gave Elsa a funny look, "Elsa, are you feeling alright? Because even when you wear heels, you can run just as fast as me…by the way, I absolutely love your boots! And oh my gosh, you're wearing pants?! You look so fabulous, Elsa!"

Elsa lightheartedly rolled her eyes, "Anna, can we discuss my outfit later?"

"Oh right!" Anna knocked on the door, "Doctor Omsorg? It's Anna! Elsa's back and she has the antidote!"

The door quickly opened, "Your Majesty, is it true? Have you received the antidote?"

Elsa lifted her satchel, "Yup, three whole vials worth."

The doctor grinned and grabbed his medical bag, "Then let's go! We haven't got any time to lose!"

Elsa sighed as Anna and the doctor took off down the hall towards Kristoff's room, "My goodness…Anna has definitely been cooped up for far too long if she has this much energy."

By the time Elsa jogged over to Kristoff's room, the doctor had already used half of the first bottle to make up a drinkable remedy for the ice harvester. But that's not what shocked Elsa the most, Elsa had to do a double take on Kristoff because the man lying in bed resembled very little of the man that captured her sister's heart. He was no longer the broad shouldered, muscular, tough blonde mountain man she knew, but instead a small, frail, sickly pale man lay in his place. Anna was sitting on the other side of the bed, holding Kristoff's hand and combing her fingers through his hair, "Every things going to be alright now, Kristoff. Elsa has returned with the antidote and you're going to be all better, back to your old self, you'll see. "

The doctor leaned over Kristoff with a glass of the remedy, "Okay Kristoff, I need you to drink all of this in one shot, try not to cough because that will make it extremely difficult for the antidote to work quickly and efficiently." Kristoff slowly nodded his head as the doctor placed the glass to his lips, "Here we go…"

For the next several seconds everyone held their breath as Kristoff slowly drank the entire glass without even a single hiccup or cough. As soon as he finished everyone breathed out a sigh of relief and look around at each other with a sense of renewed hope. Elsa looked at the doctor, "So how long will it take before it works?"

The doctor scratched his head, "It depends on the person and how serious the illness is…sometimes it can work immediately but other times it can take up an entire recovery period."

Anna looked down at Kristoff, "How are you feeling?"

Kristoff took in a deep clean breath, "Better than I've felt in days…" He let out a few harsh coughs but none of them produced blood, which was already a good sign.

Elsa noticed the color in his face started to come back, "You look better too."

Kristoff surprisingly looked over at Elsa, as if he wasn't aware of her presence, "Oh, Queen Elsa-"

Elsa kindly smiled, "You can just call me Elsa right now…" She pointed to her crown-less head, "See? No crown…"

Kristoff gave her one of his famous lopsided grins, "Thank you for getting the antidote for me, I hope it wasn't too much trouble for you and Hans-"Kristoff frowned and looked around the room, "Where is Hans?"

Elsa shook her head and tried to avoid where the conversation was headed, "It wasn't that much trouble…I actually met some very nice people there-"

The realization of Hans's absence hit Anna, "He wasn't with you when I greeted you at the gates…in fact, I haven't seen him at all since you got here. Did you come alone?"

Elsa began to wring her hands, "Yes…"

Anna stood up and faced her sister, "Then where is he?"

Elsa nervously looked out the window, "Back in Sperca…"

Kristoff raised an eyebrow, "Did you leave him there?"

Elsa wrapped her arms around herself, "Yes, in a way…"

Anna leaned against the bed, "But why?"

Kristoff looked slightly miffed, "Did he do something bad again?"

Elsa sternly shook her head, "No."

Anna could feel the temperature dropping and she knew that something was up, "Elsa, where is Hans?"

Elsa held back the tears that began to sting her eyes, "Hopefully he's in a better place…"

Kristoff's mouth dropped slightly as Anna gasped, "Elsa, are saying that he's-"

Kristoff widened his eyes, "Dead?"

Elsa nodded, "He saved my life…but at a great cost."

Anna sat on the bed, beside Kristoff, "Elsa, what happened?"

Elsa sighed and brought a chair over to the bed, "It's a long story…"

* * *

Annaliese was drenched in sweat from carrying Hans's dead-weight body for several miles, "How much farther is this Eir? I'm going to need some of that all-healing antidote to help with this back pain I've developed…"

"Excuse me? Who did you say you were looking for?" From behind a tree, a beautiful middle-age woman with long black hair and kind, intellectual, blue eyes stepped towards her.

Annaliese took a cautious step back, "Umm…a doctor." She thought that it would be best to leave out the witch part, "My friend here is very injured and needs some medical attention immediately."

The woman skeptically raised an eyebrow, "It looks to me that your friend may need more than just a regular old doctor."

Annaliese nervously swallowed, "W-what do you mean?"

The woman clasped her hands together and let out a long sigh, "Sweetie, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news…but your friend is dead."

Annaliese shook her head with wide eyes, "No he's not…he's, uh, mostly dead. But that's why I need to find this special doctor named Eir, I was told that she could perform miracles."

"No ordinary person can perform miracles, dear. "

Annaliese readjusted Hans's weight on her back, "Well, maybe she's not normal…I'm familiar that the name Eir came from the Norse Goddess of medicine and healing, and that her name means mercy and protection. So maybe she has a gift…like Queen Elsa."

The woman brightened up and smiled approvingly, "Very good, Annaliese."

Annaliese was so surprised that she almost dropped Hans, "Wait how do you know my name?"

The woman took a step towards Annaliese, "I am the person that you seek, my name is Eir."

Annaliese's jaw dropped slightly, "You're Eir? You're not at all what I expected when I heard you were a witch doctor."

Eir shrugged, "What did you expect? An old, ugly, hunched back woman with a hooked nose and warts?"

Annaliese sheepishly looked down, "Aha…well-"

Eir gave her a kind smile, "You really shouldn't believe everything you read in fairytales…now follow me."

Eir and Annaliese silently traveled back to Eir's shop. As Eir opened the back door for Annaliese, the queen-in-hiding spoke up, "Do you know who I am?"

Eir gave her a funny look, "Yes, I think we already established that you're name is Annaliese back in the forest."

"But is that all you know about me?"

Eir smiled, "For now…I haven't known you for that long. Why do you ask?"

Annaliese let out a sigh of relief that Eir didn't seem to know that she was the Queen, "I was just curious…"

As the two entered the shop Eir gestured that Annaliese follow her to a dark room, "Set him down on the observation table."

Annaliese grunted as she hoisted up Hans's body, "You don't seem to be very surprised to see Hans like this."

Eir lit several candles to illuminate the dark room, "I have the gift of foresight, so most things don't usually come as a surprise to me. I already knew that Hans was killed three days ago during the rebel attack on the castle."

Annaliese raised her eyebrows, "Wow you really are good."

Eir smirked, "Actually, Queen Elsa told me about Hans's death. I was far too busy working on a project to foresee his death."

Annaliese widened her eyes, "Queen Elsa was here? How long ago was this? Did she seem okay?"

Eir started shuffling through several vials, "Yes…she was here about three days ago. Actually she came to me on the night of the attack; she was physically unharmed, but emotionally devastated."

"Where is she now?"

Eir walked back over to the observation table with a collection of vials, "Hopefully, if all went well, she is back in Arendelle. I sent her back during the rebellion to avoid any more trouble."

Annaliese gave Eir a surprised look, "So you're not a part of the rebellion?"

Eir smirked and gave Annaliese a knowingly look, "No I am not…Your Majesty."

Annaliese's jaw dropped, "But-"

Eir laughed, "I knew all along…I _do _live in Sperca, what kind of citizen wouldn't know their own queen?"

Annaliese rubbed the back of her neck, "Sorry…" She looked down at Hans's body, "So you know why I'm here?"

Eir nodded, "Of course."

"Can you do it?"

Eir sighed, "Maybe…it's been quite a while since I did anything this complex, and he has been dead for a while."

Annaliese placed a gentle hand on Hans's cheek, "Please, Eir…do what you can."

Eir gave her a comforting smile, "I will try."

* * *

"…he was shot by five crossbows and his body fell out the window, into the waters below."

Anna and Kristoff remained quiet for a few moments, until Anna stood up and held Elsa's hands, "Elsa…I had no idea how dangerous these people were. I feel awful for making you go, I'm so sorry."

Elsa shook her head, "No don't be…you didn't make me go, I wanted to go. Just like Hans wanted to go with me. You of all people should understand self-sacrifice."

Anna looked into Elsa's eyes, "I did what I did because I loved you, Elsa. It was an act of true love-"Elsa smiled but quickly looked away, feeling guilty that she left out the part about Hans kissing her. Anna raised an eyebrow in suspicion, "Kristoff, I think you should get some rest. Elsa and I will finish this conversation elsewhere."

Kristoff looked at Anna suspiciously but he decided not to push it, "Whatever you say, Doctor Anna…"

Anna giggled and gave him a quick kiss on the head, "I'll be back to check on you later."

Anna linked arms with her sister and guided her out of the room and towards Elsa's bedroom, "I'm guessing that you would like to change out of your traveling clothes and into something more suitable for a queen?"

Elsa smiled, "You're starting to sound more and more like me…"

Anna shrugged, "I'm just growing up, I guess. I have to start acting like a princess sooner or later."

Elsa looked at her sister, "Just don't grow up too fast, okay?"

Anna frowned, "But what about you? You're not that much older than me Elsa…"

Elsa gave her sister's arm a gentle squeeze, "I had no choice but to grow up quickly because I knew that I was to become queen as soon as I became of age. You don't have to deal that pressure, nor do I want you to. Just enjoy your youth because someday you're going to wake up and realize that perhaps some of the best years of your life are over."

The sisters walked into Elsa's bedroom and closed the door. Elsa strode across the room to her wardrobe and picked out a black dress with a light blue bodice. As soon as Elsa began to undress, Anna gave her sister an impish grin, "Soooo?"

Elsa avoided eye contact with her, "'Soooo' what?"

Anna leaned against the door and crossed her arms, "Is there something else you want to tell me? Something you might have left out of your story previously?"

Elsa buttoned up her dress, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Anna walked over to her sister, "Uh-huh, sure." She helped button up Elsa's bodice, "Elsa…what are you not telling me?"

Elsa undid her braid and began brushing out her hair, "Its…personal, Anna."

Anna gave Elsa a hurt expression, "Personal? So you mean you're keeping more secrets that you don't trust me with."

Elsa walked over to the mirror, "No Anna I didn't say that-"

"Well it sure sounds like it…your starting to sound like the old Elsa, the one that shut me out for thirteen years."

Elsa angrily turned around, "Enough Anna! Stop before you say anything that you'll regret…" Elsa sighed and let go of her brush that was now covered in ice, "It's not that I don't trust you, because I do, with my life. It's just…what were your feelings towards Hans?"

Anna raised her eyebrows, "Feelings? Like did I still love him or hate him?"

Elsa shrugged, "More or less…"

Anna gave her an unimpressed look, "I found him barely tolerable, and that's only because he saved your life…does that answer your question?"

Elsa began to wring her hands, "Yes…Anna, Hans changed-"

Anna leaned against the bed and let out an exasperated sigh, "Elsa, don't tell me you fell for his hero act! I specifically warned you to watch out for his charms!"

"I didn't fall for his charms, and as for the 'hero act', it wasn't an act. He sacrificed himself for me! Hans cared about me Anna, he told me so…"

Anna rolled her eyes, "Been there, done that, doesn't mean a thing. "

Elsa sat down in front of the mirror, "Anna you're not being fair-"

Anna dramatically put her hands on her chest, "_I'm _not being fair?! I saved his neck four months ago when you wanted to hang him! I think I've been _more_ than fair to him…Elsa, ninety-nine percent of the things Hans says are just words with no meaning…actions speak louder than words, right?"

Elsa wrapped her hair into a tight bun, "You weren't there, Anna. You didn't see the way he always had my back, he was always there for me, always watching out for me. He protected me, kept me safe…he's the reason that I'm here right now. "

Anna gave her a sad smile, "I'm grateful that you're back safely, I really am. It's just out of all the men in the world, why him?"

Elsa placed her crown on her head, "Well it doesn't matter anymore because he's dead."

Anna took that as her cue to leave but as she started making her way to the door, she quietly piped up, "Maybe it's for the best…"

Elsa turned around with a look of shock and anger, "How can you say that?! When did you become so cold-hearted?"

Anna quickly spat back, "About four months ago when my heart was struck by ice!" Both Anna and Elsa gasped, Anna quickly covered her mouth with her hands, "Elsa, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking, I didn't mean to-"

Elsa lowered her head as ice began to form along the walls, "Go away, Anna."

Anna took a step towards her sister, "Elsa I-"

Elsa looked up at Anna with angry tears, "Go away, Anna!"

Anna opened her mouth to say something, but she stopped herself when she noticed that snow was beginning to fall. She knew that if she pushed Elsa any further then she could experience another major ice blast, similar to the one that originally froze her heart. So she just solemnly nodded and hurried out of the room.

Elsa looked at herself in the mirror and gasped at her reflection; her eyes were slightly red from the tears that stained her cheeks, her face was splotchy and slightly puffy from all the crying…she looked like a monster. She covered her face with her hands and let out an aggravated scream as ice blasted in all directions around her, freezing over everything in sight. She sank to the floor and let out all the emotions she been holding back for several days.

* * *

Eir was studiously sitting down at another table, surrounded by several vials and scientific instruments. Annaliese, on the other hand, was anxiously pacing back and forth while constantly looking over Eir's shoulder.

"What's that?"

"A vial."

"What's in it?"

"Liquid."

"What kind of liquid?"

"Medicine."

"What does it do?"

Eir put the vial down on the table, "Oh my goodness! Can you please stop talking?"

Annaliese took a step back, "Sorry…" Once Eir turned back around, she returned to looking over her shoulder, "Is that the all-healing antidote?"

Eir let out an exasperated sigh and turned around to face Annaliese, "Yes! Now if you insist on staying here, then you might as well do something useful, other than question my work."

"What do you need me to do? "

Eir gave her a sassy look, "Well, what _can _you do?"

Annaliese expertly matched Eir's sassy look, "I use to be a maid in the Southern Isles castle when I was growing up, so I am pretty well rounded when it comes to working on a variety of tasks."

Eir raised a surprised eyebrow, "Really? Then I want you to clean out his wounds and prepare to them stitch up as soon as I apply the ointment. The supplies you need should be in that cabinet over there."

Annaliese strode across the room to the cabinet, "Got it. And how long do I have?"

"At least a couple of hours, the ingredients are all in liquid form. I need to transform some of it into a cream ointment instead of just a liquid antidote."

Annaliese gratefully smiled, "Thank you for doing this Eir, if you ever need anything just let me know."

Eir smirked, "Can you cook?"

"Sure! Why?"

"Because if you're going to stay here, you might as well pay your room and board fee with some cooking and cleaning chores."

Annaliese laughed, "Yes ma'am!"

* * *

About an hour after the sister's fight, there was a gentle knock on Elsa's door, "Go away, Anna."

"Elsa? It's me…Olaf."

Elsa sighed, "Go away, Olaf."

Olaf was quiet for a few seconds before there was a rattling sound coming from the lock. Within seconds the cheery snowman unlocked the door and strode into the room, closing the door behind him, "Hi Elsa…"

Elsa was lying in the middle of the floor, curled up in a small ball, "Olaf, I don't feel like talking right now."

Olaf waddled over to Elsa and sat down beside her, "That's okay…I'll just sit here instead and keep you company." About sixty-seconds later, Olaf began fidgeting, "You wanna talk now?"

Elsa let out a deep breath and sat up, "Well, not really, but obviously you do…"

The snowman observed the ice around the room, "Why are you sad Elsa? What happened?"

Elsa sniffled, "Anna and I had an argument…a pretty bad one too. I lost my temper, and I shouldn't have done that…it was all my fault. It's always my fault…"

Olaf encouragingly patted her on the shoulder, "An argument goes both ways Elsa. One person pushes the other's buttons until someone loses it, that's how it usually goes. Trust me, I push a lot of people's buttons."

"I think I was just being over-sensitive about everything."

The snowman comfortingly held Elsa's hands, "Well, that's because you're hurting Elsa, your emotions are pretty raw and your tolerance is extremely low. Anna didn't understand how much you were hurting, because if she did, she wouldn't have pushed so hard. You might have thought that concealing your emotions from her would make things easier but to Anna, it seemed like you were beginning to shut her out again and she didn't want that to happen so she panicked and blurt out the first thing in her head. Knowing her, it probably wasn't the most sensitive thing either."

Elsa groaned, "I didn't even think about it like that, I feel awful! The last thing I want to do is push Anna away from me again, I need her now more than ever."

Olaf cautiously looked up at Elsa, "So why are you hurting so much, Elsa?"

Elsa sighed, "Hans is dead…he sacrificed his life so I could return to Arendelle with the antidote for Kristoff. But the real troubling thing is that I actually think I feel in love with the guy, can you believe it? But now he's gone and my heart is broken…then I have this horrid fight with Anna and I can't handle having her mad at me, not right now."

"She's not mad, a little wound up perhaps, but Anna is probably the most forgiving person I know. Just give her some time to cool off and she'll be ready to listen to what you have to say. But just remember her side of the story; she was also swept off her feet by Hans, only to be betrayed by the one man who claimed to love her. Anna's just trying to protect you from the heartache she went through, but if anyone understands a broken heart, it's your sister. "

Elsa smiled at the wise snowman, "Olaf, how come you're so smart?"

Olaf gave Elsa a comically blank look, "I honestly don't know…I haven't got a brain ya know?"

Elsa couldn't help but let out a light laugh, "I know…" She gave Olaf a quick peck on the cheek and made her way to the door, "I built you, remember?"

* * *

It was beginning to get dark in the Kingdom of Sperca, as the evening transitioned into the night. Eir had finished the procedure of healing the wounds and now laid out all of her instruments, ointments, and remedies on the observation table beside Hans's body. Annaliese had done an excellent job cleaning the wounds and preparing the stitches, even Eir was pleasantly surprised with her work, "I must say, I was more than impressed with your work ethic, Your Majesty. It seems that this was not your first time cleaning an open wound?"

Annaliese smiled down at Hans's expression-less face, "Hans and I grew up together in the castle…he was always being bullied around by his twelve older brothers. The older he got, the more violent his brothers became…it was to the point that I had to personally clean and care for new wounds weekly. I didn't mind though, Hans and I were best friends for most of our childhood."

"I'm detecting that there were some romantic feelings going on between the two of you?"

Annaliese nodded, "We secretly dated for two years, and those were probably the best years of my life. But I had to break it off because we both wanted two very different things in life; I wanted to settle down and have a family, but he wanted to become a great king to a grand kingdom in order to fulfill a promise he made to his mother before she died."

Eir began putting away her vials and instruments, "So how did you end up with his brother, Kendrick?"

Her smiled quickly faded, "Arranged marriage…it was out of my hands. I had no choice but to go through with it."

Eir carefully eyed Annaliese, "That must have devastated Hans."

She sighed, "And me as well…but he took it extremely hard, to the point of changing into some sort of heartless, overly ambitious, power-hungry monster. When I heard about what he did in Arendelle, I was convinced that he was a lost cause. But when I saw him again a few days ago…he seemed different, like the old Hans that I fell in love with."

Eir slowly walked over to Annaliese, "Do you still love him?"

Annaliese sadly smiled at Eir, "Yes. But his heart belongs to another…he only had eyes for Elsa and I knew that I no longer had a chance with him. I know what Elsa is feeling right now, losing the one man you truly ever loved. That's why we need to bring him back, so that he and Elsa can be together…they both deserve their own happy ending."

Eir smiled and held Annaliese's hands, "And _that_ was the last step to the procedure. Now kiss him…"

Annaliese quickly let go of her hands, "Pardon?"

Eir nudged her towards Hans's body, "An act of selfless love will overcome any obstacle, even death."

Annaliese leaned forward, "An act of selfless love…" She delicately planted a gentle kiss on his cold lips, than soon started to warm up mid-kiss. Annaliese took a step back as the color returned to Hans's face and his chest began to move up and down with revived breathes. Annaliese was slightly perplexed because although he seemed to be alive, he wasn't conscious, "What went wrong? Why hasn't he woken up, yet?"

Eir light-heartedly laughed and put a comforting arm around Annaliese's shoulder, "This isn't some sort of fairytale…he may not wake up for a few days, even a week or two. It's all a part of the recovery process; his body has to utilize the antidote we placed in him and slowly heal itself. He will wake up, eventually, we just have to take care of him and wait."

Annaliese looked at her, "So that's all it takes? An act of selfless love?"

"Well, that's all it takes for the spirit, but without the ointment and antidote the body wouldn't be able to heal itself and he would just die a slow painful death…again. So although I healed the body, you revived the spirit…" Eir jokingly elbowed her in the ribs, "…told you I wasn't some miracle doctor. The cure to most things is love. But true selfless love is so rare and hard to find, that it is basically a miracle in itself."

Annaliese hugged her, "Thank you Eir! Thank you! You are truly amazing, and I promise to stay here and help out until he wakes up."

Eir laughed and guided them both towards the kitchen, "That's good to hear…now let's go make ourselves some food, I'm starving!"

* * *

Elsa decided to wait until after dinner to talk with Anna, and she wasn't surprised when Anna didn't show up to dinner because Elsa figured that she was going to be with Kristoff anyways. As Elsa walked down the castle corridors she began to wring her hands; _Okay, I'll apologize to Anna and afterwards I have to tell her everything that happened, no more secrets. I don't want Anna to feel any hostility towards me…_Elsa gently knocked on the door, "Anna? It's your sister. Are you free to talk?" When there was no reply Elsa slowly opened the door and peeked into the room. She couldn't help but smile at her sister who was fast asleep beside a sleeping Kristoff. Normally, this would be considered indecent but she realized that Kristoff was sleeping underneath the blankets while Anna was sleeping on top of the blankets, therefore there was no _real_ physical contact going on. _Anna must have passed out from exhaustion and she just happened to have been sitting beside him while that occurred._ Elsa watched as Anna stirred in her sleep and unintentionally snuggled closer to Kristoff as he instinctively wrapped a protective arm around her shoulder; _they sure look cute together…even in their sleep they're inseparable. And they look so peaceful too…_

Elsa moved a piece of hair that was covering Anna's face, "Even though I may not get my happy ending, I'm happy that you'll be able to get yours."


	29. Chapter 29

**************Hello Everybody! Thanks everyone for the awesomely kind reviews and for following/favoring this story. I'm so excited that so many of you are really into this story! Please continue to review and I hope you enjoy this next chapter, Happy Reading! :)**

**************Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**  


**Chapter 29: Impending Change**

"_Your Majesty, the enemy has ambushed our cavalry and is holding them hostage until terms of their release can be negotiated. Do you wish to respond?"_

_King Richard was sitting in his study with one of his commanding officers and Hans, who was twenty-one years old, "How many men were captured?"_

"_Fourteen, Your Majesty."_

"_And if I decline?"_

_Hans questionably looked at the officer, but remained silent, "They will be killed on the spot…" When the King didn't answer, the officer pressed forward, "So what will it be, Your Majesty? Shall I schedule a time and place to meet?"_

_The King sternly shook his head, "No."_

_The officer looked shocked and confused, "No?"_

_Hans strode towards the desk, "Father!"_

_King Richard authoritatively stood, "We are on the threshold of victory, and this is merely a distraction. We press on, without them."_

_Hans leaned forward on the desk, "Father, I can lead a small rescue party to go behind the enemy lines-"_

_The King slammed his fist down on the desk, "No, Hans! They understand that they must sacrifice their lives for the good of the kingdom. This is war, Hans!"_

"_But they don't have to die! They have families that love them and wait for their return; we can't just give up and turn our backs on them."_

_King Richard started to walk away, "You don't understand sacrifice, Hans."_

_Hans strode after him, "I understand-"_

_The King turned towards him, "No you don't! You understand loss…sacrifice is a choice you make, loss is a choice made for you." Hans didn't respond, he just disapprovingly shook his head, and stormed out of the room._

_The visions disappeared and everything went black, as voices began to echo in the darkness, "Why did you volunteer to come with me?"_

_"To protect you…the people here may be dangerous."_

_"Was it another dream about your family?"_

_"Not exactly…it was about losing someone I really cared for."_

"_You saved my life, again!"_

_"It's all a part of the job description."_

_"Sure, of course that's all it is." _

"_Why is it that I always find you attending to my wounds?"_

"_Because, Hans, you are extremely accident prone."_

"_Hans, don't take this the wrong way, but, you can place your head in my lap."_

"_Are you sure about this?"_

"_I think so…just do it before I change my mind."_

"_Thanks…Elsa."_

"_It's the least I could do after what you did for me today."_

"_Your love comforts me like sunshine after the rain. If you admire the rainbow after the rain then, why not love again after the pain?"_

"_Did you see anything you liked?"_

"_I didn't even pay much attention, most of the time you were bleeding all over the place so I was distracted."_

"_True…except when we were on the ship. Don't think I didn't notice you checking out my butt as I walked by."_

"_Does this look okay?"_

"_You look beautiful, that dress looks absolutely stunning on you…"_

"_You're not going anywhere without me; I need to be by your side at all times."_

_"Letting go doesn't mean that you don't care about someone anymore. It's just realizing that the only person you really have control over is yourself."_

"_Elsa has made me become a better person, she's helped me overcome my past and the fears that once controlled me. She's taught me to feel again."_

"_You two would make a lovely couple…"_

_"I don't know how to dance, Hans."_

_"I can teach you…"_

_ "I just don't want to make myself look like a fool."_

_"Your Majesty, as long as you have a partner that knows what they are doing, then you will never look like a fool."_

_"It's complicated."_

_"It's only as complicated as you make it."_

_"You've changed, Hans, for the better. "_

_ "But is it enough to make up for what I did to you and Anna?"_

_ "No…you still have a long ways to go, but you're on the right track."_

_ "Thank you, Elsa."_

_ "For what?"_

_"For thawing my frozen heart."_

_"Your past mistakes are meant to guide you, not define you."_

"_You are literally my other half and I don't know what's going to happen tonight, but I want you to know that I love you, Elsa."_

"_Hans…I don't know what to say."_

"_Say that you feel the same way, that you love me…"_

"_I'll let you know once we get out of this situation."_

"_Sacrifice is a choice you make, loss is a choice made for you."_

Hans's eyes popped open as he took in a large gasp of air. Eir was sitting on the other side of the room with a book in her hand, "Oh good, you're finally awake."

Hans remained still as he looked around the room, "Where am I? Who are you? What am I doing here?"

Eir walked over to his bedside, "I'm Eir and you're in a room in the back of my shop located in the Kingdom of Sperca. You were killed during the rebel attack on the castle a while back."

Hans furrowed his brow, "Eir? That's right, Eir! The witch doctor! It's all coming back to me…the attack, the antidote, the secret passage, the kiss…Elsa! Where's Elsa? How is she?"

Eir poured him a glass of water, "She's safe…she returned to Arendelle with the antidote about three weeks ago."

Hans coughed into his water and cleared his throat, "Three weeks ago?! How long was I out?"

Eir helped him sit up, "You were dead for about five days, and you've been unconscious for two weeks."

Hans opened his mouth to respond, but instead a quiet voice came from the doorway, "Hans?"

Hans turned his head and gazed upon a beautiful young woman in a long white night gown, "Annaliese?"

Annaliese excitedly ran across the room and embraced Hans in a gentle hug, "You're awake! How are you feeling?"

Hans chuckled, "Uhh…alive?" He looked around the room, "How did I get here?"

Eir grabbed a chair and brought it over to the bed, "Annaliese found your body in a stream and she brought you here."

Annaliese sat down on the bed, beside Hans, "I remember you telling me about a woman in town by the name of Eir who was a witch doctor, so I was hoping that she could perform a miracle and bring you back."

Hans looked back and forth between Eir and Annaliese, "But why? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm extremely grateful that you did, I just don't understand why."

Annaliese took Hans's hand in hers, "You've been through a lot Hans…I know you loved Elsa, and according to Eir, she felt the same about you. After all the years of cruelty and heartbreak, you deserve a happy ending with the woman you love."

Hans gently squeezed her hand, "Thank you…You've always been so good to me, Annaliese. You're the greatest best friend a guy could ask for. "

Annaliese gave him a sad smile, "That's what friends are for."

Hans looked back at Eir, "So how long do I have to stay in bed?"

"Until you feel like you're ready to start moving around, I'd suggest that you start tomorrow."

Hans smiled, "Great! When does the next boat leave for Arendelle? I need to get to Elsa."

Annaliese let of Hans's hand, "Actually, Hans, there are no more ships headed to Arendelle."

Hans shrugged, "Well, that's fine…I can find multiple ships that will eventually connect to Arendelle."

Eir shook her head, "No, Hans, what she means is that the docks are closed for the winter."

Hans looked at Annaliese, "What? Why?"

Annaliese sighed, "Every winter we have to close our ports due to terrible storms, we don't want any shipwrecks. That's why we try to get the most of our trade done the few weeks prior to winter. I'm afraid you're stuck here until March."

Hans ran a frustrated hand through his hair, "No, this can't be happening."

Eir stood up and started to walk out of the room, "Hey, look on the bright side…you're alive! You will eventually get to see Elsa again, you just have to wait a bit longer than expected, but given the alternative, three months is not so bad."

Hans wildly looked at Annaliese, "But she thinks I'm dead! So what if some other suitor comes along?"

Annaliese playfully rolled her eyes and stood up, "Like that would happen-"

Hans grabbed her arm, "What day is it?"

"December 14, why?"

Hans let out a frustrated sigh, "Elsa's birthday is in a week, she's probably going to have a ball where plenty of ambitious suitors will try to sweep her off her feet…there's a good chance that at least one of them will succeed, and then I'll be out of luck."

Annaliese put a gentle hand on his shoulder, "I don't think Elsa is one to quickly fall in love with a guy she just met…"

Hans smirked, "No, she's not…but she is dutiful and if a prince should propose a good enough reason to alliance their kingdoms through marriage, then she will probably say yes."

Annaliese started to walk out of the room, "I'm sorry Hans, but it looks like you're going to have to hope that fate will bring you and Elsa back together again."

Hans distraughtly looked out the window, "When did the last boat leave?"

She stopped at the doorway but she didn't turn around, "About three days ago."

"Where was it headed?"

Annaliese turned her head to look at him, "…Arendelle."

Hans dejectedly fell back against the pillow, "Of course it was."

* * *

"Elsa! Psst, Elsa!"

Elsa tiredly turned away from her pesky sister, "Hmm?"

Anna jumped on the bed and started shaking her older sister, "Wake up, wake up, wake up!"

Elsa put a pillow over her head, "Anna, go back to bed."

Anna stuck her head underneath the pillow, "I just can't…the sky's awake, so I'm awake, so we have to plan!"

Elsa opened one eye, "Plan for what?"

Anna took the pillow and threw it across the room, "Your birthday ball! You're turning twenty-two in a week and we haven't even started planning anything!"

Elsa tiredly rubbed her eyes, "So why are we going to start now?"

Anna playfully pouted, "Because you're always so busy during the day so we never have time to plan fun stuff like this!"

Elsa sleepily patted Anna's knee, "I'll set apart some time in my schedule tomorrow to discuss my party with the staff."

"But, I wanted to just plan it with you…I don't want any help from anyone else. I wanted to do this together, sis."

Elsa smiled and slowly sat up, "Okay, Anna. What did you have in mind?"

Anna happily gasped, "Really? You want _my _opinion?"

Elsa stretched, "Yes…since I'm still trying to wake up, my brains a bit fuzzy."

Anna excitedly squealed, "Okay so what I was thinking was that-"

Anna was interrupted by someone gently knocking on the door, "Your Majesty, are you awake?"

Elsa quickly ran her fingers through her hair, "Yes, please come in Kai."

Kai apologetically opened the door and bowed, "I'm so sorry to wake you, Your Majesty…" When he noticed Anna sitting beside Elsa he bowed again, "Your highness."

Anna just smiled and waved as Elsa nonchalantly shrugged, "Don't worry about it, I was already up anyways. Is there something wrong?"

"A ship arrived from Sperca, not too long ago, and a young man, who claims to know you, wishes to see you."

Elsa tiredly sighed, "Right now?"

Kai sympathetically nodded, "He says it's urgent."

Elsa tossed off the covers and made her way to her wardrobe, "Well, it looks like I'm not going to be getting a whole lot of sleep tonight anyways, so might as well see what he wants."

Kai kept his hand on the doorknob, "Shall I take him to the throne room?"

"No, that won't be necessary…have him wait in my study."

Kai bowed, "Yes, Your Majesty…Your highness."

Elsa regretfully smiled at her sister, "Sorry Anna, it looks like we'll have to start planning my party at a later time."

Anna nonchalantly shrugged, "It's okay…can I come with you?"

Elsa looked over her shoulder, "Wouldn't you rather get some sleep?"

Anna gestured towards the window, "Sky's awake…"

Elsa laughed, "Okay, but you're not going in your night gown and robe, so you better go change."

Anna playfully saluted and ran out the door, "Yes, ma'am!"

When Elsa finished changing, she looked in the mirror; _A young man from Sperca? I wonder who it could it be? What if it's Hans? No Elsa…Hans is gone, dead. I'm just setting myself up for disappointment._

In about ten minutes time, Elsa and Anna were both appropriately dressed and tiredly making their way to Elsa's study. Well, Elsa was tired, Anna, on the other hand was excited to see who this mystery person was, but for Elsa's sake, she kept her questions to herself.

The two sisters entered the room and saw the young man sitting in a chair in front of Elsa's desk. They couldn't see who it was because he was sitting with his back to them and the room was still pretty dark. Elsa cleared her throat, making the man jump and quickly turn to face the Queen, "Your Majesty, Queen Elsa, I'm so sorry to come to you in such an inconvenient hour but I didn't know who else to turn to."

Elsa stepped closer to the man, "I'm sorry, who are you? I can't see your face…step into the light."

The man hastily walked towards them, "Oh, of course! My apologizes Queen Elsa."

When Elsa saw who the man was she gasped and ran over to him, "William?! I'm so glad that you're unharmed! I didn't know if you got out in time, I was so worried!"

He looked surprised, "You were worried about me?"

Elsa nodded, "Yes, I remember you telling me that it is just as dangerous for a castle maid or footman to step foot outside the castle walls as it is for any monarch."

"Wow, I'm impressed that you remembered that. Most people just blow me off-"

Anna unattractively snorted, "Get in line buddy, I know the feeling."

Elsa threw Anna a warning look, "Let me introduce to you my sister, Princess Anna of Arendelle."

Anna scoffed, "Oh please just call me Anna; any friend of Elsa's is a friend of mine." Elsa threw her another look but Anna completely ignored it, "So you're William…Elsa's told me a lot about you."

William grinned, "Really? All good things, I hope."

"Oh yes! She told me how kind and hospitable you were…even when everyone else wasn't quite as pleasant."

Elsa cleared her throat, "So what's wrong William? Why did you tell my advisor that it was an urgent matter…and don't say it was because you wanted to see me again, because although it was sweet the first time, I would be very ticked if you tried that again at this hour."

William shyly smirked, "No, no…it's nothing like that. Although I am happy to see you again, that wasn't the reason for my visit, but I'm not saying that I wouldn't travel to see you more often because I would, you're so kind and beautiful-"

He stopped himself before he said anything else that would completely embarrass him or Elsa, as Anna giggled at his rambling, "Get in line buddy, I know that feeling too."

Elsa tried to cover up her smile, "William, why don't you start over and just go straight to the urgent matter."

William's face turned red, "Yes, Your Majesty. You see, when we first found out about the seriousness of the rebellion, the King and Queen came up with an escape plan in case of an attack on the castle. In the far end of the Sperca forest, was an abandoned cottage that would act as a safe house for them. My part of the plan was to eventually meet up with them at the cottage since I was the King's advisor, so three days after the attack I did exactly that. "

Anna interrupted, "Why did you wait three days?"

"I took an extra long detour in case anyone was following me, but when I eventually got there the place was destroyed. I couldn't find the King or Queen until I did a perimeter sweep on the area and that's when I found Kendrick's body."

Elsa gasped and placed her hands over her mouth, "Kendrick is dead?!"

William solemnly nodded, "Yes, Your Majesty…"

"And what about Annaliese?!"

"I'm afraid Queen Annaliese has gone missing…I found no trace of her at all. I don't know if she was captured by the rebels or if she got away. I can't trust anyone in Sperca anymore because I don't know who's apart of the rebellion and who is not…I didn't know where else to go so I came here. You're the only person left that I know I can trust."

Elsa placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry William, you're safe here. You're welcome to stay in the castle with us, if you'd like."

William surprisingly looked back and forth between the two sisters, "Are you sure? Because I don't want to be a bother…"

Anna muttered under her breath, "Too late…"

Elsa elbowed her in the ribs, "It's no bother, you made me feel welcome when I visited Sperca, and so let me return the favor. I'll show you to your room."

As they quietly walked down the corridors, William couldn't help but gawk at the palace, "This castle is absolutely beautiful…it's big, but not too big that it's to the point of seeming monstrous and overly intimidating. It authoritative, yet welcoming…I really like it."

Anna snorted, "Imagine how much better it will be when you can actually _see _it in daylight."

Elsa pinched Anna's side causing her to let out a little yelp, which in response made Elsa smile, "This is your room, breakfast is usually served at half past seven, but given the late hour you don't have to be there that early…I'll let the cook know to keep your food warm."

William graciously shook his head, "Please don't bother with the extra work, I'll be there on time…I'm indebted to your kindness and hospitality, Queen Elsa. Thank you."

Elsa warmly smiled, "Have a goodnights rest and I'll see you at breakfast."

William bowed, "Goodnight Queen Elsa, goodnight Princess Anna."

Elsa politely bowed her head and Anna enthusiastically waved, "Night Will!"

Once Elsa and Anna turned the corner Anna grinned, "I like him!"

Elsa scoffed, "Like him? Anna, all you did was make snarky comments the entire time, by your behavior I would have thought otherwise."

Anna raised her hands in surrender, "In my defense, Kristoff and I bickered a lot when we first met too, and look where we are now."

Elsa smirked and raised an eyebrow at her sister, "Are you insinuating something Anna?"

"What? No! Oh no, no, no…I mean sure he's handsome and extremely polite and well-mannered but he's not my type."

Elsa laughed, "You have a type?"

"Oh sure! Everyone has a type, Elsa"

"And what's yours exactly?"

Anna did a little leap, "Kristoff!"

Elsa lightheartedly rolled her eyes, "You're going to have to give me more than that."

Anna bit her lip, a habit she does when she's thinking, "Okay well…he has to be taller than me…"

"That's a given…"

"And have a muscular body with broad shoulders…"

"That's what most girls want…"

"Beautiful, kind eyes with a hint of mischief behind them…"

"What about personality?"

"I was getting there…he has to be quick-witted, able to retort what I dish out, and funny because I love to laugh. He has to know exactly what to say to calm me down when I get overly excited. He has to be my best friend, someone I know I can trust and go to when things are hard…he's my rock, my protector, honest and true. He may be rough around the edges, but on the inside he's nothing but a kind-hearted, passionate, teddy bear."

Elsa happily sighed, "And that sounds exactly like Kristoff…but I wouldn't tell him about the 'teddy bear' part. It might ruin his tough guy image."

Anna giggled, "I'll save that for when I have to deflate his ego."

Elsa cautiously looked at Anna, "So what's my type?"

Anna bit her lip again, "Your type? Well I don't know exactly because I don't live in your head. But if I were to guess, I would say that you like a guy who is also taller than you, but he doesn't exactly tower over you, like Kristoff to me. You're all about the royal image, so he can't be exactly tough guy muscles, but more athletically lean and fit. You like a guy whose clean shaven, well dressed, not a hair out of place…a man who maintains his appearance. And he also has to have a nice butt…I feel like that's your 'thing'."

Elsa smirked, "A nice butt? That's my 'thing'?"

Anna giggled, "Yeah, I feel like that could be a deal-breaker for you. I'm all about the guns, but you're all about the buns."

Elsa burst out laughing and wiped her eyes, "Anna, sometimes you're too much for me…So what about personality?"

Anna pursed her lips, "Well, I think we're kind of similar when it comes to personality. You want a guy who you can have intelligent conversations with, someone with an opinion who isn't afraid to say what he thinks. He has to be well-mannered and familiar with the social graces, but behind closed doors, he knows how to fun and most importantly, he knows how to make _you _relax. He knows what makes you laugh, what makes you smile, and what calms you down. You want a guy that makes you feel safe, protected, loved…someone who you can confide in and trust."

Elsa sadly sighed, "…You just described Hans. You're so accurate that it's almost scary."

Anna held onto Elsa's arm, "Actually, I was going to say William since you know he's alive and stuff…" Anna cringed, "Sorry that didn't come out right, it sounded less insensitive in my head…"

Elsa patted Anna's arm, "I understand what you meant."

An awkward silence fell between them, until Anna pleadingly looked at her sister, "Can we keep him, Elsa? Pleeeese?"

Elsa couldn't help but laugh, "Anna, he's not some sort of pet. And I don't know what he would do here anyways…we don't have any job openings at the castle."

Once the sisters reached Anna's bedroom, Anna cautiously eyed Elsa, "Actually we do have _one_ job opening…"

Elsa gave Anna a wary look, "Aha…no."

Anna let go of Elsa's arm, "Why not?"

"He's an advisor, not a servant."

Anna crossed her arms, "He used to be a servant; he had to work his way up from somewhere."

Elsa nervously bit her lip, "I don't think it's a good idea."

Anna's face softened, "Why, because you don't want him hanging around you so much because you're afraid that you might start to fall in love with him, similar to what happened with Hans?"

Elsa put on her professional face, "I just don't think he would want to work as a servant…that's a pretty big job downgrade from king's royal advisor."

Anna held Elsa's hands, "But he's not going to be _just_ a servant; he's going to be _your personal_ servant. There's a huge difference."

Elsa furrowed her brows, "I don't know Anna-"

Anna squeezed her sister's hands, "Elsa? Just think about it…you don't need to feel pressured right now because only you and I have discussed it, so just let the idea float around in your head for a bit."

Elsa gave her sister a quick hug, "I'll think about it. Goodnight Anna."

"Elsa what about the party-"

Elsa opened Anna's door and led her inside, "I'll make time for you and me tomorrow so we can begin planning something."

Anna smiled and put her hand on the doorknob, "Thank Elsa, goodnight."

Once Anna closed her door, Elsa decided to go outside and take a quick late-night stroll through the gardens. As she leisurely walked beneath the light of the full moon, she found herself at her favorite place, the duck pond. As a little girl, Elsa would love to come down to the pond with her parents and Anna to just goof around with the ducklings during the spring or to go ice skating during the winter. In the summer, she and Anna would also occasionally go swimming in the pond to beat the summer heat, but most of the time Anna would ask Elsa to freeze the pond over so they could continue to ice skate together and later play in the snow. Everything was so perfect; Anna and Elsa played together all the time, her parents always made time for their daughters, there were no secrets, no fear of Elsa's powers…it was a much simpler time.

Elsa sat down by the edge of the pond and looked at her reflection in the water; _Come on, Elsa…what's wrong with you. I should at least offer him the job…I know that he's a hard-worker, a good man, and has years of previous experience. This should be an easy decision…so why am I having such a hard time deciding on whether or not to ask him? Is Anna right? Am I afraid that I might develop feelings for him? I mean, he's definitely handsome, and very sweet, always thinking of others before himself. Maybe I should just let him hang around the castle for a while so I can get a good idea of what it would be like if he were to work here, that way I would know whether or not things would work out. _

Elsa dropped her head and sighed as a few strands of hair fell out of her quickly made bun. She looked back at her reflection in the water again, and let her mind drift to Hans;_"I like your hair; you should wear it down more often."_

_"What?"_

_"Your hair…I've never seen it down before. It's really pretty….makes you look younger, too."_

_"I'm only 21, I __am __still young."_

_"Yeah but you act like you're much, much older. And sometimes it shows on your face. You seem…tired a lot."_

_"I don't get much sleep anymore." _

_"I meant it as a compliment you know."_

_"Hmm?"_

_"What I said about your hair, it's really beautiful. I don't understand why you always have it in a bun."_

_"I don't __always __have it in a bun…I braid it once in a while."_

_"Yeah, you've only done it once and it's been a while since then, too."_

_"Being a queen requires me to look professional and presentable at all times._

Elsa unclipped her hair and let her long silver blonde locks fall over her shoulders; _"Does this look okay?"_

"_You look beautiful, that dress looks absolutely stunning on you…But you put your hair back in a bun."_

"_I'm a queen again, remember? And as a queen, you should put on the best version of yourself when you go out into the world because that is a show of respect to the other people around you."_

Elsa sighed and stood up, "Maybe I will start wearing my hair down once in a while; I can still dress it up to look professional without looking too much like a tightwad." She started making her way back to the castle, "Queen Annaliese wore her hair down and she still looked very professional…I wonder what happened to her, I hope she's safe."

* * *

Hans slowly opened his eyes and carefully stretched in his bed. He looked around the room and rubbed his eyes, still trying to comprehend the fact that he was actually dead not too long ago. He noticed a walking cane beside his bed and a note attached to it;

_Hans, _

_You may or may not remember that you were shot in the leg with one of the arrows; therefore your right leg might be weaker than your left. I've provided you a walking cane to help re-strengthen your leg and I suggest that you use it frequently for the first few days._

_Eir_

Hans propped himself up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He examined his right leg and noticed the remaining scar tissue of the wound, "Yeah, I don't remember this one." He grabbed the cane and slowly stood, groaning with the pain from the other four wounds on his upper body, "But I definitely remember these." He stopped moving when he heard a strange noise coming from outside the back door. He slowly limped over and quietly opened the back door, revealing Annaliese hunched over a bucket that she was holding. Hans hobbled down the steps, "Annaliese, are you sick?"

Annaliese turned around to face him, "Oh, good morning, Hans…I, uh, wasn't feeling too well this morning so Eir gave me this bucket and then she went off into the forest to gather some ingredients to make another nausea remedy."

Hans sat down next to her and examined her disheveled hair and pale color, "Another? How long have you been sick?"

Annaliese gave him a meaningful look, "I know that look, Hans. Don't worry, it's nothing serious, I only seem to get it in the mornings anyways. I'm fine really, it's probably just some sort of stomach illness."

Hans rubbed her back as she turned back towards the bucket and gagged with dry heaves, "That you only get in the mornings?" When she finished, Hans looked her in the eye, "Where is my brother?"

Annaliese gave him a tired smile, "He's safe, we have a cottage on the far end of the forest that's extremely isolated."

Hans nodded and began to mindlessly stroke her hair, "Annaliese, don't get mad but…I'm going to ask you a very personal question."

She leaned her head against his chest, "Okay…?"

Hans uneasily swallowed, "When, uh, was the last time that you and Kendrick…" He gestured with his hands, "ehem…you know."

Annaliese quickly sat up and looked appalled at his inappropriate question, "Hans! That is none of your business!"

Hans defensively put up his hands, "Okay then here's another question…have you recently missed a certain monthly gift from Mother Nature?"

She crossed her arms, "Hans, this question isn't much better than the last one."

He rolled his eyes, "Just answer at least one of them."

She annoyingly sighed, "Fine…less than a month ago and, yes, I seem to be a little late on my monthly gift."

Hans put his face in his hands, "That's what I thought…" He nervously ran a hand through his hair and looked his best friend in the eye, "Annaliese I think you're, uh…"

Annaliese widened her eyes with fear, "I'm what Hans?!"

He took her hands in his and gave her an encouraging smile, "…I think you're pregnant."


	30. Chapter 30

**************Hey Guys! Hope all is well for everyone! Thank you guys for the awesome reviews and for honestly just reading my story! I am so pleased with all the positive feedback and I hope you guys will enjoy the next chapter! Please continue to review and I'll be sure to update again this week. Happy Reading! :)**

**************Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**  


**Chapter 30: Birthday Ball**

It was finally December 21, Elsa's birthday, and the sisters had spent almost every single minute together since Elsa first woke up. As soon as Elsa was awake, Anna already gave her the first of many gifts, which turned out to be specially-made imported chocolates. They shared a special birthday breakfast at the castle that included chocolate chip pancakes with chocolate milk, and Anna gave Elsa another of her gifts as soon as they finished eating, which turned out to be a beautiful silver diamond choker necklace that also contained hints of light blue that made Elsa's crystal blue eyes pop. After breakfast, the sisters went for a short ride on their horses into the naturally-snowy forest for some sister bonding time, which mostly consisted of building snowmen, brutal snowball fights, and ice-skating. Once lunch time came around, Elsa and Anna attended a surprise birthday celebration in town provided by the citizens of Arendelle. The rest of the afternoon was spent in town socializing with the villagers, entertaining the children with Elsa's powers, and feasting on soup, roast, and ice cream. By early evening, the sisters had to return to the castle to prepare for Elsa's birthday ball that was to begin at nightfall.

"Come on, Kristoff! It's almost time!" Anna was hurrying down the hallway while practically dragging the ice harvester along with her to Elsa's bedroom.

Kristoff chuckled, "Anna, slow down! I'm pretty sure your sister won't leave without you."

Anna slowed down to a brisk walk, "I just want everything to be perfect, if all goes well, Elsa might finally meet the man of her dreams tonight! Then she can stop being so depressed all the time."

"I don't think Elsa's been depressed…she actually seems to be doing really well given the situation." Kristoff stopped walking and faced Anna, "Wait, what do you mean that she'll meet the man of her dreams? I thought you just invited to usual dignitaries for tonight?"

Anna clasped her hands behind her back and anxiously rocked back and forth, "Well, as far as Elsa knows, I did invite them. Which I did…but I may or may not have also invited plenty of available suitors too."

Kristoff put his hands on her shoulders and gave her a concerned look, "Won't that make her feel extremely uncomfortable and vulnerable? She hasn't exposed her ice powers to these suitors yet, so she'll be back in the same situation she was in during her coronation. And we all know how well _that _turned out."

Anna put her hands on his arms and smiled, "Kristoff, just trust me. Elsa's different now, she doesn't fear her powers anymore…she's in control."

Kristoff let go of her they continued walking, "Oh Anna, I sure hope you know what you're doing."

Anna scoffed, "Don't worry, Kristoff, everything will turn out fine."

Kristoff rolled his eyes, "Where have I heard that before…"

As they approached Elsa's bedroom door, Anna stuck out her tongue at him and knocked, "Elsa? Are you decent?"

It was quiet for a few seconds before Anna heard her sister's faint voice, "Come in, Anna."

Anna excitedly opened the door and skipped inside, "How's the birthday girl doing?" Her mouth dropped when she saw her sister sitting on her bed with her robe still on and a worried look on her face, "Elsa! You're not even dressed! What's wrong?"

Elsa sighed, "Do you realize that this is my first time facing the dignitaries since my coronation party? What if something goes wrong again?"

Anna scurried onto the bed, beside her sister, "Elsa, I think that you and I can both agree that your coronation party was less than what we hoped for…but if you think about it, nothing can go worse than that. So, if I were you, I'd put on my best dress and strut my way into that ballroom and have the time of my life! You only get to turn twenty-two once in your life, and who knows, maybe the future King of Arendelle is somewhere in that ballroom."

Elsa smirked, "I doubt it…most of the dignitaries are married." She stood up and went over to her wardrobe, "That's actually quite a relief, not having to worry about impressing any suitors this evening."

Kristoff, who was standing in the doorway, cleared his throat and threw Anna one of his famous 'I-told-you-so' looks. Anna nervously bit her lip, "Well, I mean there's always a chance that there'll be at least _one _young suitor in that room…"

Elsa pulled out her new dress, which was another gift from Anna, and laid it out on the bed, "Yeah, I suppose you're right. But one or two suitors are a whole lot better than a room full of them."

Anna jumped off the bed and went to the doorway to shoo Kristoff out, "Well, that wouldn't be so bad either…an entire ballroom filled with young, attractive suitors. Now that sounds like a party I would want to be at!"

Kristoff crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at her, "Ehem…"

Anna blushed, "I mean, that sounds like a party I would want to be at _if _I was single and totally not in love with another man." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and shut the door.

Elsa started to change, "Why are you putting so much pressure on me finding a husband tonight?"

Anna helped Elsa put on her dress, "Because I just want you to be happy Elsa."

After they finished buttoning the dress, Elsa turned to her sister and smiled, "I _am _happy, Anna. Seeing you smiling everyday and knowing that you are safe and well taken care of, makes me happy. Knowing that Arendelle is prospering and the citizens are pleased, makes me happy. Knowing that I'm accepted for who I am and not having to fear my powers make me happy. I don't need a husband to make me happy; I'm very content with my life, as is."

Anna handed Elsa her crown, "Are you sure you're not lonely? Because if you are-"

Elsa put on her crown and walked over to the door, "Anna, I'm fine, really."

The two sisters stepped out of the room and headed towards the ballroom, "Okay…well then I should probably give you a heads up and tell you that-"

Elsa noticed how dark it was outside and started to walk faster, "Oh my goodness! I'm late! _We're _late! We don't want to keep anyone waiting…"

The two sisters came to the door that Anna would be entering, "Elsa I insist-"

Elsa gave Anna a quick hug and hurried down the hallway to the other entrance, on the other side of the ballroom, "I'll see you in there okay? Thanks for the pep talk, sis."

Anna slumped towards Kristoff, who was waiting by her entrance, "Did you tell her?"

Anna sighed, "I tried…" She reached behind her back and pulled out two objects, "Just in case something goes wrong, though; I managed to grab a pair of gloves."

Kristoff shook his head and gave her a wary look, "Anna-"

Anna handed the gloves to Kristoff, "In a worst case scenario, these might seem like a security blanket to her."

Kristoff tucked them into his jacket, "Or handcuffs…"

Anna crossed her arms, "You know, you do a terrible job in trying to comfort me. I know I messed up okay, I already feel bad enough without you rubbing it in."

Kristoff put his hands on her shoulders and gently rubbed his hands up and down her arms, "Anna, I'm sorry. You're right, you messed up…" He held both of her hands in his, "_But_ you and I are in this together so we're going to make sure that absolutely nothing goes wrong tonight. Let it be our job to keep a close eye on your sister and if need be, we can either give her the gloves or get her out of the public eye."

Anna leaned back against the wall, "Thanks Kristoff, I know you didn't sign up for any of this-"

Kristoff took a step closer to her and held her face in his hands, "Anna, when I chose to be with you, I also chose to sign up for whatever craziness you would throw at me. I knew what I was getting myself into and that's one of the things that I love about you, you keep things interesting."

Anna smiled, "Have I told you how much I love you?"

Kristoff smirked, "No."

Anna furrowed her brows, "Really? Because I'm pretty sure that-"

Kristoff interrupted her with a light gentle kiss, "Sometimes you talk too much."

As he leaned in again Anna giggled, "Do I?" This time their kiss was one of passion and young love. Anna threw her hands around his neck as Kristoff placed a hand in the nape of her neck and the other arm around her waist. When they pulled apart, they could hear Kai inside the ballroom, beginning to make the introductions. Anna disappointingly sighed, "The ball's about to begin, you should go…I'll meet you inside."

Kristoff kissed the top of her hand and bowed, "Your Highness." She giggled as she watched him walk down the hallway.

Anna turned toward the door when she heard the trumpet blasts and quickly fixed her appearance. In a matter of seconds, the double door opened and Anna stepped into the ballroom as Kai announced her name and title. She politely smiled at all the dignitaries and suitors as she made her way to the front of the room and stood in the place that she stood during Elsa's coronation party. She took in a deep breath when Kai announced her sister's name and title. The double doors opened revealing a beautiful young woman with a long light blue dress that looked similar to her ice dress. Elsa stepped into the ballroom and looked around the room, taking note of the young suitors. Anna held her breath as she watched her sister politely smile and regally walk to her spot beside Anna without even a hint of surprise or fear. _Wow…she's better at hiding her emotions than I thought. _Anna quickly scanned the room for a familiar face, and smiled when she saw Kristoff standing against the wall, looking right at her with a smile on his face too. Once the music began to play again, Elsa whispered to her sister, "Did you forget to tell me something?"

Anna started to wring her hands, "Aha…in my defense I tried to tell you before we went our separate ways."

Elsa's face softened, "Was that what you were trying to tell me? I'm sorry Anna…I should have listened to you."

"So you're not mad?"

Elsa smiled, "No, I know you meant well…" She scanned the room, "Besides you probably invited all these suitors before I told you that I was happy being single. I understand your intentions, and since we cleared everything up, I guess I'll just have to grin and bear it."

Anna let out a sigh of relief, "Thanks, Elsa, you're the best…Oh and while I'm at it, I should warn you about one last thing-"

The music ended and Kai stood in front of the sisters, "As a part of tradition, if a member of the royal family is not being courted by a suitor, she must partake in the custom of dancing with every available suitor in attendance before the end of her birthday ball."

Elsa's eyes widened ever so slightly, "Wait, what?"

Anna noticed the slight drop in temperature and quickly faked a series of subtle coughs, "Elsa I need to talk to you…alone." Anna grabbed her sister's hand and hurried out of the ballroom. Once they were alone in the hallway, Anna guiltily looked at Elsa, "That's what I was going to warn you about."

Elsa's expression was a mixture of fear and confusion, "I didn't even know that was tradition…"

Anna held Elsa's hands, "This is our first public birthday celebration…technically this tradition should have started once we turned eighteen but since, well you know, we haven't had the chance to partake in it until now."

Elsa nervously looked back at the ballroom doors, "So I have to dance with all those suitors? Every single one of them?"

Anna shrugged, "According to tradition…yes."

Elsa let go of Anna's hands and walked over to the window, "But I don't dance, I don't know how."

Anna jogged over to her, "Sure you do…you told me that Hans taught you back in Sperca."

Elsa placed her hands on the window sill, "Yeah, but…it was completely different. There were only four of us in a small parlor…not an audience of suitors and dignitaries in a large ballroom." Elsa noticed that she had begun freezing the window sill and quickly let go.

Anna looked at the ice, "You'll be fine, Elsa…I, uh, brought you a spare pair of gloves if you think you'll need them."

Elsa wore a hurt expression, "You didn't think I could control my powers?"

Anna tried to hold Elsa's hands, "No, I know you can, but I figured that if you got caught off guard, the gloves would seem reassuring."

Elsa jerked her hands away from her sister, "Well, if things went as we planned, then I wouldn't have to worry about getting caught off guard."

"But this was supposed to be a fun surprise- "

Elsa began to raise her voice in agitation, "Anna I'm not you, I can't just go off on spontaneous adventures. I have to know what to expect when I go into public, in order to prepare myself…unless I want to wear gloves for the rest of my life, which frankly I don't."

Anna remained quiet for a few seconds before she responded in a small voice, "Oh…I didn't think about it that way. I'm so sorry Elsa…but what are we going to do?"

Elsa let out a deep sigh, "Well, it's too late to send everyone home…where are my gloves?"

Anna looked down, "Kristoff has them…are you going to dance?"

Elsa walked over to Anna, "What other choice do I have?" She put an arm around her sister and smiled, "Besides, how bad can it be?"

Anna grinned, "I'll make it up to you, Elsa, I promise."

Elsa giggled, "No, no it's fine…I don't think I can handle any more surprises tonight. Is there anything else I should know about before going in?"

Anna gave Elsa a hug, "Nope…you're clear of surprises for the rest of the night. Good luck and have fun!"

As Elsa and Anna snuck back into the ballroom, Anna made eye contact with Kristoff and gave him a serious curt nod. He made his way towards the sisters and as Elsa passed him, he held out the gloves that Elsa slyly took from him without missing a beat. As Elsa put on her gloves, she made eye contact with Kai and gave him a reassuring smile, which in response, got him to stop the music and quiet down the audience, "Queen Elsa, may I present to you the first suitor, Prince Harold of Arsubia."

A tall, skinny man with jet black hair and dark brown eyes stepped forward and bowed, "Your Majesty, may I have this dance?"

Elsa withheld from groaning, as she just nodded and smiled, "Of course."

The music started up again as Harold and Elsa began to waltz around the ballroom. Harold looked around the room and smiled down at Elsa, "Don't look now but it seems like we've got ourselves an audience."

Elsa politely nodded without looking around, "Yes it would seem that we do."

Harold studied her face, "Is everything alright Queen Elsa?"

Elsa forced a smile, "Yes, everything is fine. Why do you ask?"

"When you left the room with Princess Anna, it seemed like something was wrong…"

Elsa cleared her throat, "No I was just…nervous, that's all. I don't really get out that much, so naturally I found this whole thing slightly intimidating."

Harold smiled, "Don't worry, Queen Elsa…" He pressed his body closer to hers and began to slide his hand down her waist, "you're in safe hands."

Elsa widened her eyes and pushed him back at arm's length, "Okay I think that we danced long enough…" Elsa turned to walk away, "plenty of suitors to meet before the night's over."

When she turned she came face-to-face to a tanned, fit man with dark brown hair and silvery blue eyes, "Your Majesty…Prince Benedict of Livonia, may I step in?"

"Yes!" Elsa cleared her throat, "I mean, of course Prince Benedict."

After Elsa politely bowed her head at Prince Harold she gratefully took Benedict's hand. Once they began to dance, Benedict gave Elsa a concerned look, "What did you think about Prince Harold?"

Elsa spoke slowly and carefully, "He seemed…concerned about my personal well-being."

Benedict smirked, "Really?" He looked over Elsa's shoulder, "He seemed a bit grabby to me."

Elsa giggled, "You noticed that too?"

Benedict looked back down at her and smiled, "That's the reason I stepped in when I did…I could see that you were beginning to feel uncomfortable."

Elsa smiled back at him, "Well, in that case, your timing is impeccable…thank you."

As they continued to dance, Elsa found herself liking him Benedict more and more. He made her laugh, he made her smile, and she felt comfortable with him. _Maybe Anna was right, he could be the one…he could be the future King of Arendelle. _As soon as that thought popped in her head, a sinking feeling grew in the pit of her stomach. She knew exactly what that feeling was…extreme guilt. She lived with that feeling for thirteen years when she was growing up, and for the first time since the eternal winter, it was back.

Benedict seemed to notice the shift in her behavior, "Your Majesty, are you alright?"

The air seemed to thicken inside the ballroom and Elsa could feel her heart rate increasing to an unnatural pace, "I think I need to go outside and get some air."

Benedict followed the Queen towards the balcony, "Would you like some company?"

Elsa reached the doorknob and turned to Benedict with a smile, "No, it's okay…I would like to be alone for a moment."

Benedict bowed, "As you wish."

Once Elsa stepped outside, she quickly closed the balcony doors behind her, grateful that nobody seemed to notice the Queen's hasty retreat. Elsa took a few deep breaths and took off her gloves, immediately feeling relief wash over her. She slowly walked over to the railing and sat down, looking up at the stars.

_"Beautiful, isn't it?"_

_ "Yes."_

_ "What do you think about when you gaze up at the stars?"_

_"Usually my mother…I know she's looking down on me, watching me…you?"_

_"My parents…I always wondered that if they were still alive, would they approve of the person that I have become…"_

_"I don't see how they could be anything but proud of you, Elsa. You are a fine ruler, and an even better person."_

_"What about you?"_

_ "Hmm?"_

_ "What would your mother think of you if she was still alive?"_

_ "If she was still alive, then I probably wouldn't have turned into the monster that I am…"_

_ "Were…"_

_ "Pardon?"_

_ "The monster that you were…you've changed, Hans, for the better. "_

_"But is it enough to make up for what I did to you and Anna?"_

_ "No…you still have a long ways to go, but you're on the right track."_

_ "Thank you, Elsa."_

_ "For what?"_

_ "For thawing my frozen heart."_

Elsa felt those same butterflies return as she let herself think back to that wonderful evening with Hans. As a few stray tears ran down her cheeks, she looked back up at the stars, "So, does that mean you're looking down on me now? Do you see how conflicted I am, Hans? As soon as I began to fall for you, you had to go do something heroic and get yourself killed. Now, I can't seem to get on with my life because I'm constantly thinking about you and what might have been for us. I admit I am lonely, but every time I try to meet someone new I always feel guilty…I feel like I'm cheating on you which is absolutely absurd because you're not coming back."

A kind male voice came from behind, "Queen Elsa?"

Elsa jumped and wiped away the tears, "Oh, it's just you William."

William closed the balcony door behind him and smirked, "Just me?"

Elsa shook her head, "Sorry, that came out wrong…"

William walked over to her and sat down beside her, "I was teasing, Your Majesty. Is everything alright?"

Elsa began to nod, but then shook her head and held her face in her hands, "No…I can't do this."

William raised his eyebrows, "Do what?"

"The dancing with the suitors…it makes me feel sick."

William chuckled, "Geez, don't tell them that."

Elsa sighed and looked down at her hands, "It's not because of them, it me…I'm just not ready to start looking at potential husbands. I don't even know if I will _ever_ be ready…maybe I'm just not meant to get married."

William looked up at the stars, "Don't say that, you'll find that special someone someday."

A tear ran down Elsa's cheek, "I already did…and he's dead. By the cruel twisted turns of fate, he was taken away from me…"

William wiped away the tear and gave her a warm smile, "Well, maybe there was a loophole and he miraculously survived…" He dramatically stood up on the railing and pointed towards the fjord, "He could be on his way here as we speak!"

Elsa giggled at his dramatic antics but her expression became solemn again, "I'm not as lucky as Anna and Kristoff, Hans died under normal circumstances. There was no magic involved so I don't see how there could be a loophole for him."

"Queen Elsa, if I may…" William sat back down and took Elsa's hands, "I think the reason that you can't seem to move on with your life is because deep down, you feel like there's still a chance that he's alive. Your head is trying to be logical and realistic by telling you that he's not coming back, but your heart is thriving on the hope that he's not dead and he _is _coming back for you…hence, your feelings of guilt and confliction."

Elsa caught a hint of sadness in his eyes, "Are you speaking from experience?"

William quickly dropped her hands and looked away, "Let's just say that you're not the only one hoping that a special someone is still alive."

Elsa pondered his words until realization struck her, "Annaliese? Annaliese! You love Annaliese?!"

William ran his hand through his hair, "It's not something I'm proud of…it's rather indecent to long for a married woman, but she's just so kind and beautiful. I hope she's okay…"

Elsa felt relieved that had finally found someone who was going through the same situation she was, she was finally not alone. She found someone who knew exactly what she was feeling and she knew that she couldn't let this man walk away, "Would you like to work here, on staff, at the castle?"

William looked at her with wide eyes and raised eyebrows, "Pardon?"

Elsa put on her professional face, "I have a job opening on my staff…would you be interested?"

William brightened up, "Absolutely! I've been worrying about what I was going to do with my life, since I can't go back home and there aren't very many job opportunities in my line of work. What's the position?"

"It would be a servant position, you would live here…room and board will be provided, of course."

William smiled his most charming smile, "I'll take it! Who am I to serve?"

"You will be serving me, as my personal male servant."

His expression faltered to one of uncertainty and remorse, "Hans's old position, correct?"

Elsa slowly nodded, "Yes."

William stood up and bowed to her, "Then I shall accept your job offer with great humility and gratitude. I will be sure not to replace him, but merely serve in his place until he returns."

Elsa shook her head, "He's not-"

William kissed the top of her hand, "Never give up hope Queen Elsa…if the heart believes it then you should too. The heart knows more about itself than the brain knows about it, so when it comes to love, trust your heart."


	31. Chapter 31

**************Hi Everyone! Thank you all for reviewing and reading my story, I'm very pleased that so many of you have enjoyed Warm Hugs. Sadly, this story is coming to an end very soon, but I've been thinking about writing a sequel to Warm Hugs. So please continue reading and reviewing, and enjoy the next chapter! Happy Reading! :)**

**************Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**  


**Chapter 31: December-April**

"No."

"But Hans-"

Hans held up the bottle of wine above his head, in order to keep it out of Annaliese's reach, "Eir said no alcohol at all…that means no wine, no champagne, nothing Annaliese."

Annaliese pouted, "But its New Years Eve! It's tradition!"

Hans reached up and placed the bottle of wine on the highest shelf, "Well, tradition is just going to have to wait until next year."

Annaliese narrowed her eyes at Hans as she grabbed a glass of water and strode out of the room, "Geez, you're so mean to me, Hans."

Hans followed after her, "I'm trying to help you! Don't you want a healthy baby?"

Annaliese sat down on the floor beside the fireplace, "Yeah, yeah…" She looked up at Hans and gave him a cheeky smile, "I was just teasing…quit taking everything so seriously."

Hans sat down beside her and looked into the roaring fire, "An unborn baby's health is not a joking matter."

Annaliese sat back on her elbows and let out a deep sigh, "I know, I'm the one carrying the baby, remember?"

Hans rolled his eyes, "You've only been pregnant for a month; quit being such a drama queen."

"Hey, I'm entitled to be as much as a drama queen as I want. When you're pregnant, then you can tell me how I should and shouldn't act."

Hans sat back on his elbows and looked at his friend, "Annaliese? I was teasing."

Annaliese gave him an approving nod, "Touché, Hans."

Hans sat up and stretched out his legs, crossing them at the ankles, "In all seriousness though, how are you feeling?"

Annaliese rested her head on his lap, "Given everything that's happened…I think I'm doing okay."

Hans sighed and combed his fingers through her hair, "It's been a rough few weeks."

Two weeks ago, when Hans told Annaliese that she was pregnant, Eir was able to confirm his claim later that day. Sadly, that was the highlight of the week because a few days later, Eir went far out into the forest in search of some ingredients but instead she came across Kendrick's body. She quickly returned to tell Hans and Annaliese what she had seen and apologize that she couldn't do anything for him because his body was extremely damaged and had already been feasted upon by forest animals. Annaliese was distraught for several days over the realization that she was now a single mother and had to raise her child by herself, and Hans silently grieved the loss of his brother, even though Kendrick was nothing but cruel to him, he was still his brother after all. On Christmas Day, Hans made an impactful decision and promised Annaliese that he would step up and help her raise the child in place of his deceased brother. Annaliese was so relieved that she cried for nearly an hour that night.

Annaliese sighed and looked up at Hans, still keeping her head on his lap, "So this is what it would be like if we were married? Cuddled up by a warm fire, talking about our future, our baby…"

Hans stopped combing his fingers through her hair, "You're baby…well, yours and Kendrick's that is. None of my genetics are in the baby…"

"Well, not directly…but technically the baby is also your nephew or niece so you do share some genetics."

Hans widened his eyes, "Nephew? Niece?"

Annaliese giggled and sat up, "You do realize that I'm your sister-in-law right?"

Hans furrowed his brow, "Now I do…you've been my best friend for so long, it never really occurred to me." His expression changed to one of shock and realization, "Oh my gosh! I just realized that I kissed my sister!"

Annaliese laughed and gave Hans a silly glare, "Geez, Hans, you're such a sicko."

Hans raised his hands defensively and smirked, "Hey, don't get all high and mighty on me, you kissed your brother-in-law…sicko."

Annaliese crossed her arms and mimicked Hans's voice, "You've been my best friend for so long, it never really occurred to me."

Hans chuckled, "Hey, you kissed _me_, remember?"

Annaliese leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, "This is true."

Hans widened his eyes, "What was that for?"

Annaliese placed her head back on his lap, "For being the good old Hans that I grew up with…for being kind and caring again. I envy Elsa…she's going to marry a wonderful man."

Hans looked down at her with a shocked expression, "Marry?"

Annaliese looked up at him, still keeping her head on his lap, "You are planning on marrying her right? Because if you don't then someone else will."

Hans hesitated, "I…haven't given it much thought…"

Annaliese smirked, "You're lying…" She reached up and tapped his nose with her finger, "You slightly flare your nostrils when you lie. So spill it!"

"Look, I don't want to over think things yet…I just want to reunite with her first, and if all goes well, then maybe in a year's time she could be my fiancée."

Annaliese smiled, "I'm happy for you…you will invite me to the wedding right?"

Hans chuckled, "Don't jinx anything…and yes of course I'll invite you."

Annaliese turned her head back to the fire as Hans began stroking her hair again, "Do you still sing? Like you used to do all the time when we were dating?"

Hans hesitated again, "I, uh, haven't sung in a while…" _The last time I sang was with Anna during Elsa's coronation party…since then I haven't even hummed or whistled a single tune._

Annaliese took in a deep sigh, followed by a yawn, "That's a shame…you had the loveliest singing voice. You could easily make any girl fall in love with your voice…"

Hans guiltily swallowed; _you have no idea…If only you knew everything that happened leading up to the eternal winter. I was such a creep…using Anna the way I did, toying with her heart like that…I really was a monster._

Annaliese shifted her body until she was comfortably positioned with her head still on his lap, "That wasn't really you Hans…that was the evil brought out by your father and brothers. That Hans is dead, it's going to be a new year soon so long live the real Hans…and yes you did say all of that out loud."

Hans was glad that Annaliese was looking the other way because his face turned a bright shade of red from the embarrassing fact that he accidentally spoke his thoughts out loud. _But she is right…that was the old me. A new year means a newer, better me. _Hans continued to comb his fingers through her hair as he began to hum a comforting tune he grew up singing with his mother. In a matter of minutes, Annaliese was asleep and Hans smiled as he slowly drifted to sleep, listening to the steady sound of her breathing.

* * *

Anna quietly snuck into Elsa's room early in the morning. Once she was close enough to Elsa's bed, she excitedly jumped on her sister, "Happy Valentine's Day!"

Elsa covered her head with a pillow, "Anna, it's too early to have this much energy…I thought you weren't a morning person anyways."

Anna lay down beside her, "Normally, I'm not…but today isn't a normal day. It's Valentine's Day!"

Elsa uncovered her head, "So why are you waking me up? I would've thought that Kristoff would be the chosen one for today."

Anna sat up and pouted, "Because he's not here right now, he's off harvesting ice for his business…"

Elsa tiredly rubbed her eyes, "So let me repeat what I just said…why are you waking me up?"

Anna played with the ends of her wild hair, "Because I'm lonely…"

Elsa sat up and leaned against the headboard, "He'll be back soon…he's only gone for one week at a time."

Anna plopped face first into a pillow and continued to talk into the pillow, "But why did he have to go _this _week?"

"Because that's what's best for his business…"

"But what about what's best for me?"

"Anna?"

"Yes?"

"You sound needy…don't be needy."

Anna sat up, "I'm not needy!" Elsa gave her a knowing look, "Well, why does he have to go work anyways…if we get married, he won't have to harvest ice anymore."

Elsa held her sister's hand, "Anna, ice is his life. I think Kristoff realizes that if you two get married, he'll have to leave that behind and that's why he's very dedicated right now. His days in the ice harvesting business are numbered."

Realization showed on Anna's face, "Wow…he's willing to give up the thing he loves the most, for me?

Elsa warmly smiled, "That's because ice isn't the only thing in his life anymore…he's found something much better. The love you two share is worth far more than any ice business."

Anna guiltily smiled, "I'm glad I talked to you about this before talking to Kristoff; he might have gotten upset about my insensitivity…again."

Elsa gave her sister's hand a squeeze, "You do understand that if you two get married you're going to have to think about the other person's feelings in the relationship, right? I can't always act as your marriage counselor, Anna."

"I know, I know…I'm just not very good at socializing. Well, I mean, I'm good at talking just not that great at filtering my words."

Elsa gave her sister a confident smile, "You'll be fine, Anna. You're a fast learner…just, think before you speak okay?"

Anna nodded, "So, what are your plans for Valentine's Day?"

Elsa ran her fingers through his long silvery locks, "I've got three meetings spread throughout the course of the day, and then I think I'll call it an early night."

Anna furrowed her brow, "Seriously? Come on, Elsa, you're such a stick in the mud! We can do something together! What do you say? Would you like to be my valentine?"

A male voice came from the door way, "I was going to ask you the same question."

Anna looked over to see her reindeer king holding a bouquet of red roses and a big box of heart shaped chocolates, "Kristoff!"

Anna ran over to him and practically tackled him in a bear hug, causing him to chuckled, "You didn't actually think that I would forget about you on Valentine's Day, did you?"

Anna nodded, "Well, actually, yes I did! But you're here now so let's not dwell on it."

Elsa silently laughed to herself and rolled her eyes; _so much for think before you speak._

Kristoff warmly smiled down at Anna, "I've got a surprise for you…" He looked at Elsa, "If it's okay with you, Queen Elsa, I would like to whisk your sister away for the day."

Elsa nodded and slowly got out of bed, "Its fine with me. You two go have fun and please be safe…oh and try to be back before midnight, okay?"

Kristoff and Anna both nodded and responded at the same time, "Thanks, Elsa!" Kristoff grabbed Anna's hand as the two ran off down the hallway together, laughing and excitedly whispering to each other.

Elsa closed the door and debated on getting dressed or not. Ultimately, she decided that it was too early to get dressed so she just sat by the window and gazed out at the snowy mountains in the distance. She couldn't help but smile when a small sparkle caught the sun's morning rays and glistened over the sleepy town of Arendelle. Elsa knew that glistening sparkle came from only one object in the North Mountain, her ice castle.

"_Whoa, Elsa, you look different…it's a good different. And this place, it's amazing."_

"_Thank you…I never knew what I was capable of."_

"_I'm so sorry about what happened. If I had known…"_

"_No, its okay…you don't have to apologize. But you should probably go…please."_

"_But I just got here."_

"_You belong down in Arendelle."_

"_So do you."_

"_No, Anna. I belong here…alone. Where I can be who I am, without hurting anybody."_

"_Actually about that-"_

"_Wait, what is that?"_

"_Hi! I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!"_

"_Olaf?"_

"_You built me, remember that?"_

"_And you're alive?"_

"_Yeah, um, I think so?"_

"_He's just like the one we built as kids…"_

"_Yeah."_

"_Elsa, we were so close, we can be like that again."_

"_No we can't…goodbye, Anna."_

"_Elsa, wait!"_

"_No! I'm just trying to protect you."_

"_You don't have to protect me, I'm not afraid."_

"_You have to go."_

"_No, I know we can figure this out together!"_

"_How?! What power do you have to stop this winter, to stop me?!"_

"Queen Elsa!" Elsa gasped and turned toward the door. There an alarmed-looking William cleared his throat, "Your Majesty, are you alright?"

Elsa looked back at the window and realized that she had completely frozen the window sill. She looked out of the window and noticed that the sun was no longer reflecting off her ice castle, "What time is it?"

"It's about half past seven, Your Majesty. Breakfast is ready to be served."

Elsa scrambled to her wardrobe, "Seven thirty already? How can that be?" Elsa took out a dress and hung it up by her bed, still trying to gather her thoughts, "I'll be there as soon as I can…and the first meeting begins at what time?"

"Half past eight, Your Majesty."

"Yes, yes…of course. Thank you, William." William bowed and exited the room, closing the door behind him. Elsa hurriedly changed and gathered her hair in a quick and easy bun. She looked into the mirror just as a stray hair fell in her face; _I'm fine…everything's fine. Anna forgave me a long time ago about what happened…it's all in the past. It's just fear trying to creep back into my mind, bringing back these haunting memories of my past, of the wrong I did to Anna and to Arendelle. _

"_Queen Elsa! Don't be the monster they fear you are!"_

Elsa shook her head, "Hans was right…I am not a monster. The greatest mistake I can make in my life is to continually fear I will make one. Humans make mistakes, and even though I'm not a normal human…I am human nevertheless."

As Elsa strode out the door and down the hallway with a renewed sense of confidence, she looked up and smiled to the ceiling; _Thanks Hans._

* * *

"Would you quit pacing, Hans? You're starting to get me nauseas."

Hans continued walking around the kitchen, "I just can't stand being cooped up in this house any longer…I need to get out and go somewhere!"

Annaliese, who was sitting at the kitchen table, began drumming her fingers on the wooden surface, "Ah-ha, so that's what it is…"

Hans finally stopped pacing, "What?"

"You've got Spring Fever, my friend. Getting a little anxious about seeing your lady friend soon?"

Hans feigned surprise as he looked out the window, "Is it coming up on springtime already?"

Annaliese rolled her eyes, "Oh, like you haven't been counting down the days until the docks reopen. Speaking of which, they should be opening up any day now."

Hans strode over to the table and sat down on a chair, "It's just…what if she already found someone else to replace me?"

"Are you talking about your position as her servant or your position as her lover?"

Hans furrowed his brow, "Both? But mostly her lover…"

Annaliese put her fingertips to the temples of her head and closed her eyes, "Hmm…let me see into the future. Oh wait, that's right! I'm not Eir, I wouldn't know."

Hans snapped, "That's it! Eir! I can ask Eir!"

Annaliese scoffed, "She won't tell you…she doesn't believe in telling us about what she sees. If she did, then I would know if my baby bump here was a boy or girl."

Hans smiled down at her three month old baby bump, "How are you feeling by the way?"

Annaliese nonchalantly shrugged, "I'm fine; don't change the subject from you to me." She leaned forward and held his hand, "Hans, what are you so afraid of?"

Hans looked down at their hands, "What if it's not perfect? I've spent long winter nights imagining what it would be like to see her again, to hold her in my arms again…to kiss her again. But what if it's not everything I imagined it would be? What if she tells me we're just friends, or rejects me completely?! What if-"

"Hans!" Annaliese gave his hand a squeeze, "If you continue to live in the world of 'what if' then you'll never know. Besides, Arendelle is a three day journey…you'll be a nervous wreck by the time you get there if you start worrying now."

Hans looked up at her with concern, "What about you?"

Annaliese furrowed her brows, "What about me?"

"When I leave, what's going to happen to you? I promised you that I would help you raise your child…I can't do that if I'm in Arendelle. Unless you want to come with me-"

Annaliese let go of his hand and stood up, "Hans, you know I can't do that. I am the sole ruler of Sperca now…I can't just get up and leave."

Hans was beginning to feel exasperated, "But the people here don't want a queen, Annaliese. If you stay, you're putting yourself in danger…you're putting your _baby_ in danger. Can you imagine how hard it will be to raise a child when you're constantly living in fear? Elsa could tell you, she grew up that way, she's gone through that and it nearly destroyed her and her sister. I've gone through that, and you know how much of a failure I turned out to be…"

Annaliese raised an eyebrow, "So what am I supposed to do in Arendelle?"

Hans gave her his most charming smile, "Whatever you want…it's a fresh start! A clean slate! Arendelle is a place of second chances…I would know, I'm living proof!"

Annaliese anxiously bit her lip, "I don't know Hans…"

Hans stood up and gave her a hug from behind, "Annaliese I can't force you to come with me, but I know that you're making a big mistake if you decide to stay."

Annaliese placed her hands over his, "So you're not giving me much of a choice are you?"

Hans placed his chin on her shoulder, "No, not really."

Annaliese sighed, "Okay…I'll go back to Arendelle with you."

"Great!" He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, "Who knows…maybe you'll find someone."

Annaliese laughed, "A former queen with an unborn child…yeah that's some serious dating material."

Hans let go of her and started making his way out of the room, "Hey, look on the bright side…you're still young, beautiful, _available_, and obviously fertile-"

"Hans!" Annaliese threw a nearby towel at Hans who ran out of the room laughing like the lighthearted kid she grew up with. She grabbed a small bucket of water and chased after him, laughing as if she was back to being an eighteen year old.

Eventually she found him hiding in his bedroom closet and drenched him with the contents in her bucket. After several minutes of goofing around, they finally called a truce and walked back into the kitchen, just as Eir came through the back door, "What happened to you?"

As Eir took in Hans's soaked appearance, Hans shook his head like a wet dog, "I made fun of a pregnant woman."

Annaliese slowly picked up the towel, "We'll clean up the mess…I promise."

Eir feigned impatience, "No you won't…" When Annaliese and Hans gave her nothing but blank stares, she clasped her hands together and smiled, "Because you two will be headed out of Sperca within the hour, so you better start packing whatever you have now.

Annaliese and Hans both dropped their mouths and responded at the same time, "Wait what?"

"The docks reopened today, and the first ship leaves in less than an hour. It's not a direct route to Arendelle but it's better than just waiting here for another week or so until one does arrive."

Hans methodically rubbed his chin, "How long will this alternate route take?"

"About a week…but you'd still make it back to Arendelle sooner than if you stayed here and waited for a direct route."

Annaliese placed the towel on the table, "How did you know that I was going? Do you know what, never mind, I forgot that you could foresee things."

Eir guided Hans and Annaliese to their bedrooms, "Take whatever clothing you'd like. I don't' receive many visitors, so I could always sew more clothes after you two leave." Eir stopped and held onto Annaliese's shoulders, "Especially you dear, since you're going to start a new life in Arendelle, you'll be starting from scratch…so please take as much clothing as you can fit in your bag."

Annaliese's eyes brimmed with tears as she threw her arms around Eir, "Thank you so much for everything! You've done so much for me; I don't think I could ever repay you."

Eir smiled and patted Annaliese on the back, "It's my pleasure, dear. I enjoy helping people, it's what I do."

After Annaliese finally let go of Eir, Hans gave her a gentle hug, "Thank you for all that you did for Annaliese, Anna, Kristoff, Elsa and me. You truly are a miraculous gift sent from above and we couldn't have done any of this without you."

Eir smiled and wiped away a stray tear, "Just remember to invite me to the wedding."

Hans stepped back with raised eyebrows, "Wedding?"

Eir patted his cheek and gave him a sly wink, "There will be a wedding." Eir began to walk away but stopped at Annaliese who was standing in the doorway, "And I would start thinking about buying blue fabric, if I were you." And with that, Eir walked out the back door, without any intentions of coming back until Hans and Annaliese were gone.

Annaliese and Hans stared at the back door close, then slowly turned and blankly looked at each other, until Hans spoke up first, "Did she just give us a hint about our future?"

Annaliese gave him a cheeky smile, "I believe so…"


	32. Chapter 32

******************Hi Everyone! It's been decided that a sequel will be written for Warm Hugs, and I'm working with a fellow writer to ensure a whole new adventure full thrills and epic villains are in store. Thank you all for your support and kind reviews, they mean a lot to me. I just want everyone to know that this is NOT the last chapter to Warm Hugs, but the Epilogue to Warm Hugs will be in the beginning of the sequel. I do plan on releasing the final chapter of Warm Hugs very close to the release of the first chapter of the sequel, that way there won't be a large gap between the end of Warm Hugs and the Epilogue. Please keep the reviews coming and I hope you enjoy the next chapter. Happy Reading! :)**

******************Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Disney's Frozen film. All movie rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation team and all other franchising rights belong to the Walt Disney Company.**  


**Chapter 32: The Marriage Law**

Anna was pacing back and forth in the castle hallways, waiting to go down into town for an Easter celebration with the citizens of Arendelle. She leaned against the wall and let out a long impatient sigh, but quickly stood back up when she saw Kristoff running towards her, "Sorry I'm late…I was with a client."

Anna smiled at his handsome physique running towards her, "Its fine, I wasn't going to leave without you anyways…" She stopped talking when she noticed his eyes widen as he came towards her, "What?"

Kristoff stood directly in front of her, taking in her pastel pink dress that came off the shoulder and her long red hair that freely flowed out beneath her pink bonnet, "Wow…you look beautiful today." Before Anna could thank him, he suddenly reached down and gave her a sweet spontaneous kiss. He gave her a lopsided smile as he continued to hold her in his arms, "So we're ready to go?"

Anna frowned, "Not quite."

Kristoff looked around the hallway, "Where's Elsa?"

Anna let out an irritated breath and started pacing again, "Still in a meeting with that ridiculous council of hers…"

Kristoff furrowed his brow, "On Easter?!"

"She said that they were adamant about meeting with her today."

"That is ridiculous…why doesn't she get a new one?"

Anna let out a snort, "Kristoff, they're not ice picks…you can't just go back to the store and ask for a new one. These are people and not _just_ people, they're the wisest men among high society and parliament…or at least, they're supposed to be."

Kristoff leaned against the wall, "If you were queen, would you have kept this council?"

Anna began to wring her hands, "That's not my call to make since, well, I'm not queen."

Kristoff crossed his arms and wore a smug smile on his face, "You wouldn't have, would you…I can see it in your eyes. You can't lie to me, Anna, I know you too well."

Anna turned away from him and looked out the window, "Elsa has her reasons…I trust her and her ability to rule as Queen of Arendelle."

Kristoff came up from behind and gave her a hug, wrapping his strong arms around her slim waist, "So do I…it's that nasty council of hers that I don't trust. What on earth is so important that they need to have a meeting on Easter? You and Elsa have that children's Easter Egg Hunt in the town today that you need to set up for and, speaking of which, you should have been in town ten minutes ago."

Anna leaned back against Kristoff's strong chest, "I already sent William down to the town to let everyone know what's happening. They must understand that Elsa's duties as queen requires a lot from her."

Kristoff gave her a little squeeze and rested his cheek against her head, "I still think this meeting is bogus…what do you think they're talking about?"

Anna bit her lip, "I don't have the slightest clue…"

* * *

"What do you mean I have to get married?"

Elsa stood at her end of the table while the rest of her council nervously fidgeted in their chairs, until one brave man with gray hair finally spoke up, "Your Majesty, your father gave us specific instructions that his two daughters were to be married by the time they turned twenty-two years of age. Up until the age of twenty-one, you and Princess Anna were allowed to find your own husbands, no matter the social rank. But once you turned twenty-one, you have one year to seek a suitable husband of royal blood and agree to an arranged marriage. Fortunately for Princess Anna, she seems to be getting along fairly well with the ice harvester and she still has three years to marry the boy before her privilege of choosing her husband is taken away. Unfortunately for you, Queen Elsa, you are no longer eligible to choose your own husband."

"I want to see proof of this written down somewhere."

One the council men slide a paper towards her, "Here's the paper, Your Majesty."

Elsa picked it up and read the entire page silently in her head. By the time she finished, she had sat back down and the color began to drain from her face, "It's true, it's in my father's handwriting…how can this be?"

The same gray haired councilman spoke up again, "Most princesses don't get their choice of husband so your father thought that his daughters deserved, at least, the privilege to choose their own spouse, until they became of the proper age. But once the gates were closed, this idea got pushed to the side and was never changed before your father unexpectedly passed away. Therefore, we must honor the late King's request and arrange your marriage to another prince before the end of the season."

Elsa tried to hide the desperation she was feeling, "Well, I can certainly change that, can't I? I have the power to-"

"Your Majesty, under normal circumstances you could change any law or decree your father made previously, along with a group vote by us, of course. But since this regards you, you have no power over this decision. I'm sorry Queen Elsa…"

Another councilman spoke up, "But given the circumstances of what's recently occurred-"

Elsa hopefully perked up, "I don't have to get married?"

"We took a vote and agreed to allow you to choose your husband, given that he's a prince."

Elsa raised a skeptical eyebrow, "Why can't you vote and allow me to remain husbandless?"

"Because we believe that you should have a husband by this point in your life."

Elsa stood back up, "That is so old fashioned…who say's a woman needs a man by her side in order to successfully rule her kingdom?"

"Your father."

The gray haired councilman spoke up again, "Do you have a suitor in mind?"

Elsa was silent for a few minutes going over the situation; _I don't want to get married at this point in my life, but at the same time, it's not like I'm waiting to marry the man of my dreams. I did tell Hans, long ago on the boat, that I am content with marrying for alliance not love…so if I must… "_Prince Benedict of Livonia…I choose him."

The gray man smiled, "Very well, Your Majesty. We shall send word to him of your decision by tonight."

Elsa pushed back her chair and began making her way out the door, "Is there anything else I should know?"

"That is all at this time Queen Elsa…thank you and enjoy the Easter celebration with your people."

Elsa calmly closed the door behind her, but she stormed down the hallway towards Anna's direction. Anna and Kristoff were still in their embrace when Elsa stormed by them, causing Anna to jog after her sister, "Elsa! W-what happened?"

Elsa held an expression of determination on her face, "How late are we?"

Kristoff quickly responded, "Close to twenty minutes, Your Majesty."

Elsa let out a slight huff, "Then we have no time to lose."

Anna grabbed Elsa's arm, "Elsa wait!"

Elsa continued down the hallways with her sister dragging behind her, "We can talk later, Anna, I promise…but right now, our number one priority is getting into town as quickly as we can."

"But can't we walk and talk? You were always good at multitasking."

Elsa and Anna climbed into the carriage, while Kristoff went off to go hide the Easter eggs for the children around town. Elsa avoided making eye contact with her sister by looking out the window, "Promise me that you'll marry Kristoff before you turn twenty-one."

Anna raised her eyebrows in shock, "What?"

"Just promise me."

Anna looked back at Kristoff, who was walking towards town, "I promise you, that I intend to marry him before I turn twenty-one."

Elsa gave her sister a sad smile, "Good."

Anna was now terribly confused, "Elsa, what on earth has gotten into you?"

Elsa let out a sigh and held Anna's hands, "I'm getting married…"

Anna dropped Elsa's hands, "Wait, what?! To who?"

Elsa felt a lump form in her throat as tears began to sting her eyes, "Prince Benedict of Livonia."

Anna saw Elsa's distressed expression and tried to calm her down, "Whoa hold on, I knew you two had hit it off at your birthday ball, but I didn't even know it was that serious-"

Elsa couldn't keep the tears back any longer, "Anna, it's an arranged marriage!"

Anna blinked a few times, "An arranged marriage?"

"Yes! Our father pardoned us from the duty of arranged marriages up until the age of twenty-one so that you and I were allowed to find our own husbands, no matter the social rank. But once we turn twenty-one, we have one year to seek a suitable husband of royal blood and agree to an arranged marriage."

"But that's not fair! We didn't even know about this! Can't you do something about this?"

Elsa held her face in her hands, "I can't overturn anything father did previously that concerns or benefits me."

Anna moved to sit beside Elsa and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders, "Elsa, I'm so sorry…at least the council decided to let you choose your husband, instead of just forcing you to marry a random stranger. You could have been stuck with that grabby Prince Harold of Arsubia…"

Elsa leaned her head against Anna's shoulder, "Yeah, at least Benedict seemed to be a good man."

"He made you smile and laugh…and he wasn't too hard on the eyes. I didn't get a good look at his butt though, did you?"

Elsa couldn't help but let out a giggle, "No, I didn't."

"No matter, he seemed like the type who cares about his appearance and physique. And he seemed to care about you and tried to protect you from Prince Harold. I think things will work out Elsa, and who knows, maybe this hurdle is going to help you get over losing Hans."

Elsa bit her lip, "Maybe…"

The carriage stopped and Anna realized that the town square was filled with excited villagers waiting to see their queen and princess. Anna gave her sister a concerned look, "Are you going to be okay?"

Elsa wiped away any leftover tears and straightened out her dress, "I think I'll be fine as long as I don't think about it."

* * *

Hans was practically dragging Annaliese to the side of the ship, "There it is Annaliese! Arendelle! I can't believe we're almost there! Isn't it marvelous?!"

Annaliese laughed, "Are you excited? I can't tell."

Hans leaned forward on the edge, "More than excited…I've been waiting for four months to see Elsa again. It feels like a lifetime ago since I saw those rosy cheeks, those intense eyes, those silver locks, those sensual lips…"

"Are you in love? I can't tell."

Hans stepped away from the railing and sighed, "I just hope that I'm not too late…and what if she does want to be with me? Can I be the man that she deserves?"

Annaliese followed him, "What is wrong with you? Look Hans, you have grown so much since I last saw you in the Southern Isle prison five-six years ago…you are no longer like your father and brothers. You've become a man that your mother would have been proud of, and what would she say if she was here watching you doubt yourself?"

Hans looked out over the horizon; _"Hush sweetie, don't cry. Someday you'll be an important leader of some far off kingdom and the people there will absolutely love you. Oh Hans, you will become a far better ruler than any of your brothers. And you want to know why?...Because you are a sweet, polite, kind-hearted, brave, resourceful, and ambitious boy. Unlike your brothers who seek nothing but power, you seek to please others. Your brothers see the throne as a tool to control the world but you see it as a tool to make a positive difference in the world."_

_"Really Mommy? Do you think so?"_

_"Of course Hans. You are a lot like me, you know that? That's why I convinced your father to name you after me instead of some other posh relative of his."_

_"I want to be just like you when I grow up Mommy!"_

_"I'm happy to hear that. Just make sure your father doesn't know about it okay? He would have a field day if he found out that I favor you over his 'pride and joy'."_

_"I promise Mommy. And when I get older, I promise that you will be proud of me and the man I will have become."_

_"Spoken like a truly great future king...pinky swear?" _

_"Pinky swear."_

_"Oh Hans, I know you will make me a proud mother someday. I love you so very much."_

_"I love you too, Mommy. Goodnight!"_

_"Goodnight Hans."_

"Hans?"

Hans blinked several times, "Yes?"

"We're here…we just need to wait until a docking station opens up. We arrived a little earlier than expected but a ship should be departing anytime now."

Hans took in a deep cleansing breath, "Here goes nothing."

* * *

As soon as Elsa and Anna had set foot out of their carriage that morning, the rest of the day had been nothing but a whirlwind of fun and good times. They watched a play that was put on by the children, they ate and socialized with the adults, they dance with everyone in town in the main square, and finally, Elsa and Anna held a surprise Easter Egg Hunt for the children. The sun was beginning to set as Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff helped clean up the remains of the Easter celebration. Elsa just finished saying goodbye to a little girl before she happily walked over to Anna and Kristoff, "Well, I'd say that was quite a huge success."

Anna finished off another chocolate treat, "That was so much fun! Can we do it again tomorrow?"

Elsa laughed as she wiped some chocolate off her sister's face, "Tomorrow's not Easter, Anna."

"I don't care…I just don't want to wait until next year."

Elsa stole the chocolate that Anna was holding, "Sorry Anna, but you're just going to have to wait like all the other children."

Anna took out another chocolate truffle out of her bonnet, "Fine…I'll try."

Elsa made her way to Kristoff who was counting up the Easter eggs, making sure that every single one was found, "How many did you count up Kristoff?"

"98…99…uh-oh." Kristoff looked up, "Queen Elsa? Only 99 eggs were found…we're still missing one."

Elsa pursed her lips, "Hmm…Anna you go search the docks, Kristoff you go back into town, and I'll go check by the pond."

Anna popped one more chocolate in her mouth and skipped off to the docks, "Yay! The hunt continues…"

Kristoff stood up beside Elsa, "Is she always like that?"

Elsa cautiously gave him a side-glance, "Basically…you'll never be bored, that's for sure."

A silly grin spread across his face as he continued to watch Anna skip away, "She's perfect…how lucky can I get?"

Elsa couldn't help but smile at how much this man adored her younger sister, "She's certainly one of a kind."

* * *

Anna slowly wandered around the docks, carefully checking every inch, "Here Easter egg…where are you Mr. Easter Egg-"She froze when she saw a strangely familiar man walking down the gangplank with bright red hair and very distinct sideburns, "Oh my goodness…Hans?!"

Hans turned around, "Anna?! Anna!" He excitedly ran towards and embraced her in a hug, "I have never been so happy to see you!"

Anna didn't hug him back, she just stood there with a confused look on her face, "You're supposed to be dead…I, mean, I don't wish you to drop dead right here in front of me. Well, maybe a little part of me still wishes that, but never mind…Elsa! You're here for Elsa aren't you?!"

Hans nervously nodded, "Yes…has she said anything about me?"

"Are you kidding?! She never stopped talking about you, you're all she ever thinks about. She even admitted that-wait, who is this?"

Hans smiled, "Anna, this is Annaliese."

Anna looked Annaliese up and down, "Annaliese? Yes! Annaliese! I remember Hans talking about you…"

Annaliese bowed, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Princess Anna."

Anna politely bowed her head and gave her a kind smile, "Aw, aren't you sweet." Anna looked back at Hans and motioned for him to follow her, "Hans, a word?"

Hans confusingly looked at Annaliese and cautiously followed Anna, "Sure thing."

Once they were out of sight, Anna turned around and slapped Hans on the cheek, causing a bewildered look on his face, "What was that for?"

Anna angrily hissed, "How could you?!"

"How could I what?!"

Anna gestured towards Annaliese, "How many months is she pregnant?"

"About three" Anna slapped him again, "Ow!"

"You've been gone for almost six months and you have the nerve to come back with your pregnant ex-girlfriend and still attempt to make a move on my sister? You little-"

As Anna pulled back her hand to strike him again, Hans grabbed her wrist, "Anna! She's my sister-in-law!"

Anna tried to shake her wrist out of his grasp, "You slept with your sister?!"

Hans firmly gripped both of her wrists, "No! She married Kendrick correct?"

"Yes."

"Kendrick's my brother, right?"

"Yes."

"Therefore, Annaliese is pregnant with my nephew."

Anna stopped fidgeting, "Your nephew?" Hans nodded and let go of her wrists, as Anna blushed and sheepishly grinned, "Oh…aha, sorry." They walked back over to where Annaliese was standing, "I suppose that you would probably like to know where Elsa is right about now. She's looking for a lost Easter egg, by the pond."

Hans smiled, "Thank you…would you mind hanging out with Annaliese for awhile?"

"OH yeah, sure…I can do that. You can help me search for the 100th Easter egg!

Annaliese smiled, "Sounds like fun! Good luck, Hans."

Anna gave Hans a little wave, "Break a leg…I mean that as good luck, not literally go break a leg-"

Hans chuckled, "I think I got it Anna, thanks."

* * *

Elsa smiled when she finally reached the pond; _It's so peaceful here…so serene. I could spend hours here just reading a good book or relaxing in the summer sun. _She took off her heels and wiggled her toes in the cool grass, letting a light giggled escape from her lips, "I guess I'd better start looking for this missing egg…" She began searching in the bushes, "I wish Kristoff remembered where he hid all of the eggs…ow!" A thorn from the rose bush pierced her palm, "Well, that's inconvenient…" She stepped away from the rose bush and clenched her teeth as she pulled on the thorn. When it finally came out, blood began to trickle out of the wound, "Better go get you cleaned up…" She sat on the edge of the pond and dampened the end of her handkerchief, then began to wipe away some of the blood. When she finished cleaning the wound, she took out the ribbon on her bonnet and tried to wrap the cut with it, "This is turning out to be more difficult than I originally had thought…"

"Maybe I can help?"

Elsa froze at the familiar voice. She slowly looked up and widened her eyes, "Hans?"

Hans slowly walked towards her, "Hello, Elsa. Do you need help with that?"

Elsa stood up and continued to try wrapping her hand, "No, I'm fine…you're not real anyways."

Hans continued to walk closer, "I'm not real?"

Elsa avoided making eye contact with him, "You died almost six months ago…I remember as if it was just yesterday."

"You're right I did die…but I'm back, now."

Elsa scoffed, "Yeah, right. I must be feeling guilty about what happened at this morning's meeting."

Hans stood directly in front of her, "Elsa?" He gently grabbed her hand and wrapped the ribbon around her wound. When he finished he looked her in the eye, "You never answered my question, you know that?"

"What question?"

Hans kissed the cut on her hand, "I love you, Elsa…Do you feel the same way? Do you love me?"

Realization hit Elsa as she hesitated, looking back and forth between his eyes and his lips, "…Yes."

Hans smiled, "Well, that's all I needed to know…"

Hans dove right into a passionate kiss that was filled with a mixture of love, relief, and joy. He finally pulled away, but to his surprise Elsa grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him back in for another kiss, "I'm not letting you get away so easily this time." They stood there for a few minutes, exchanging words of love and kisses of yearning desire. By the time they were finished, they were both left breathless as Elsa began to giggle, "I don't believe it."

Hans wrapped his arms around her waist, "Well, believe it, I'm here to stay."

Elsa laughed, "Not you, look…" She pointed up into the tree, "The missing Easter egg."

Hans chuckled, "How about that? Why don't you go find your shoes while I climb up to get the egg?"

She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, "Deal."

After Elsa gather her shoes, she returned back to the tree just in time to watch Hans climb down with the egg; _He really does have a nice butt…_

Hans strode over to Elsa and gave her a quick look up and down, "You look very beautiful today, lavender is definitely a good color on you."

Hans offered her his arm, and Elsa happily took it, "Thank you…" They began walking back to town, when Elsa flirtatiously looked up at Hans, "You know what other color looks good on me?"

Hans could feel her flirtatious energy, "What?"

Elsa gave him an impish smirk, "Red."

There was a naughty glint in his eyes, "I would like to see that."

Elsa stopped and gave him one more deep kiss, before she knew she had to start acting like a queen again, "Maybe someday you will…"

Hans let out a disappointed sigh, "Don't tease me like that, Your Majesty. It's been hard enough trying to keep my hands off of you before, but now that I know you feel the same way, it's going to be especially hard."

Elsa pursed her lips, "Don't worry, I'll be sure to keep you busy…work wise, I mean, not the other meaning."

Hans chuckled, "Of course, Queen Elsa. So I assume that my job position hasn't been filled?"

Elsa nervously bit her lip, "Actually…"

William was running towards the couple, "Queen Elsa…I've been looking all over for you. Is everything alright? Hello Hans…" He did double take on Hans, "Hans?! You're back?! And you're alive?!"

Elsa could feel Hans's muscles tense up, "William…you here, in my old uniform…"

Elsa held onto Hans's arm, "William had nowhere else to go, so he came here and I eventually decided on giving him a job at the castle."

Hans wore a hard expression, "My job…"

William put on his most charming smile, "It wasn't an easy decision for her, Queen Elsa was rather reluctant on giving me your job. But if you want you can have it back-"

"Elsa!" The group of three turned to see Kristoff jogging towards them, "Did you find the egg? I looked everywhere for it but-" He took a double take on Hans, "Hans?! You're alive?!"

Hans tried to give him a friendly smile, "It would seem so, yes."

Kristoff gave Elsa a concerned look, "Does Anna know?"

Hans stood up a bit straighter, "She was the first one to spot me at the docks…actually there she is now."

Kristoff squint his eyes, "Wait a second, who's that woman with her?"

Hans wrapped his arm around Elsa, "Oh, that's-"

William's eyes widened, "Annaliese!"

Annaliese and William ran to each other and embraced one another in a long hug filled with tears of joy. William pulled away and looked Annaliese up and down, "Your Majesty, are you…?"

Annaliese blushed, "Pregnant? Yes…three months along. But William, Kendrick is dead."

William held her hands, "I know, I found his body by the cottage, and when I couldn't find you…I didn't know if they kidnapped you or if you got away."

Annaliese gave him another hug, "I'm safe now, William…and I'm glad you're safe too. How long have you been here?"

"I've been working in the castle since Elsa's Birthday Ball in December. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to start a new life in Arendelle…I'm giving life a second chance."

The others finally joined Annaliese and William, but Anna was the first to speak up, "Where will you be staying Annaliese?"

Annaliese nervously looked around, "I, uh, don't know…"

Elsa gave her a warm smile, "Well, you are more than welcome to stay at the castle for a little bit."

Annaliese's face brightened up, "May I? OH, that would be great! Thank you!"

Elsa looked at her servant, "William can you show Annaliese to one of the guest bedrooms in the South Wing please?"

William grinned, "Right away, Queen Elsa."

After the duo left, Anna anxiously looked at Elsa and Hans, "So, are you guys a 'thing' now?"

Hans and Elsa smiled at each other causing Elsa to giggle, "I think so…"

Anna bit her lip, "Elsa, do you remember what we discussed this morning during the carriage ride into town?"

Elsa looked down and silently thought back to that morning, soon her face darkened as she sadly looked back at Hans, "Oh no! Hans, I'm supposed to be getting married by the end of spring!"

Hans took a step back, "Wait, what?"

"It's some complicated law our father made up a long time ago…basically, I have to get married to a prince by the end of the season."

Hans furrowed his brow, "So you're supposed to find a husband that also has to be a prince and get married to him by June?"

Elsa nervously fidgeted, "Well, I don't really have to find a husband because I already made my decision on who I'm marrying-."

Hans took another step back, "So you're engaged?"

Elsa looked back at Anna and Kristoff, then back at Hans, "I guess technically I am…but I don't want to be! The council forced me to choose this morning!"

Hans methodically rubbed his chin, "This morning? So your so-called fiancé hasn't heard of the news yet?"

"No, the council will be sending off the letter tonight."

Hans stood close to Elsa and held her hands, looking straight into her eyes, "Elsa…you don't want to marry that man correct?"

Tears were beginning to brim her eyes, "Correct…"

"Would you be willing to marry a man that you already knew…perhaps a man that you love?"

"That would probably be ideal."

Hans dropped down to one knee, "Elsa, will you marry me?"

Anna, Kristoff, And Elsa's jaw all dropped at the same time, but it was Elsa who responded first, "What-"

"You need to marry a prince…" Hans stood up and bowed, "Prince Hans of the Southern Isle, at your service."

Elsa let go of his hand, "But you're no longer a prince."

Hans took back her hand, "If I was a prince again, would you marry me instead?"

"Yes, of course."

"Then it's settled…" Hans cupped Elsa's face in his hands, "I'm going back to the Southern Isles and I'll get my father to reinstate my title. Once I'm Prince Hans again, I'll come back with intentions of becoming your husband."

"But, I thought you wanted to avoid your family…you specifically asked me to not tell them about me sparring your life. What will they say when they see you…alive?"

"That's my problem to deal with, but your problem is to find a way to stop that letter from reaching your 'fiancé'."

Elsa smiled, "I can do that."

Hans leaned forward and gave her a light kiss, "I'll be back in a week's time."

Elsa brought him in for a long hug, "And I'll be waiting here. Please be careful, I just got you back and I don't think I could take losing you all over again."

Hans deeply inhaled, taking in Elsa's scent, a scent that he had missed for several months, "You have my word."

Anna cleared her throat, "Sorry to interrupt but the sun's been down for about an hour so, Elsa, if you want to catch that letter you need to go _now_."

Elsa broke away from their embrace, but still held his hand, "She's right; I need to go…take my ship, it's faster and it'll guarantee you a docking station because of the royal emblem."

Hans kissed her hand, "Thank you, Elsa."

Elsa smiled and turned to go, with Kristoff and Anna on her heels, "Kristoff can you take care of the eggs, Anna and I need to get back to the castle as quickly as possible."

Kristoff broke away from the sisters, "Sure thing."

Anna and Elsa ran so fast, that they made it back to the castle in record time. As soon as they stepped through the gates, Elsa spotted Olaf roaming around the courtyard, "Olaf! Have you seen anybody leave the gates recently?"

The snowman happily ran over to the sisters, "Oh, hiya, Elsa! No, I don't think I've seen anyone leave for at least the past three hours."

Elsa nodded and dashed up the stairs, while Anna stopped to catch her breath, "You've been wandering around the courtyard for three hours?"

"Yup! What can I say, I'm very easily entertained."

When Elsa reached the top of the stairs, she realized she was missing her sister, "Anna!"

Anna obediently started running again with Olaf right behind her, "Oh! Sorry, Olaf, I guess I'll talk to you later."

Elsa was about to start running when an idea struck her, "Actually, you guys should stay in the courtyard in case I miss the letter!"

Anna stopped running and nodded to her sister, "Okay, good luck!"

Elsa made a beeline straight towards the council room, where she knew most of her councilmen worked during the day if they weren't working elsewhere in town. She threw open the door, startling the one man who was standing at his desk, "Your Majesty, can I help you with anything?"

Elsa tried to compose herself, while catching her breath, "The letter…have you sent the letter?"

"Not yet, I actually have it right here."

"May I see it, please? It is a very personal message, and I want to make sure that it sounds acceptable."

He handed her the letter, "Sure, Queen Elsa, if you wish…"

Elsa silently read the letter, "This is very well-written, good job…"

The man smiled, "Thank you, Your Majesty, that's why they pay me-" His eyes widened when Elsa began tearing the letter in front of his eyes, "What are you doing?!"

Elsa gave the man a haughty smirk as she threw the letter scraps into the fire, "I've changed my mind."


End file.
